A Kat and Her Man
by KibaElunal
Summary: After her summoner Kal loses his true love, Katarina finds herself unable to go back to her cold-blooded life as an assassin and struggling to find her place in nobility. Between coming to terms with her new role, her struggle to find justice, and bonding with Kal, she must also keep him from getting them both killed. Soon, however, love blooms. An alternate ABAHF universe.(Lemons)
1. Chapter 1

A Kat and Her Man - Ch. 1

 **AN: So, way back in A Boy and His Fox, I explained in the final chapter's AN that I had another idea for an ending and that I'd most likely publish it. Well, this is a spin off based off of that ending. While it's not canon in the ABAHF universe, it could be considered a timeline split ala Legend of Zelda. Some of you may also recognize this as being based off of the second chapter of Beauty is Love. I can't promise when I'll update this again, but I just wanted to get this chapter out there before it vanished from my head. -Kiba**

I let out an impatient huff as I stood in the council room, arms crossed over my chest. I wasn't sure why they'd called this meeting, but I figured it had something to do with reprimanding me for something that Noxus had done. The League always seemed to have it out for us. "Katarina Du Couteau, good to see you again," one of the council members stated as they one-by-one winked into existence in their seats.

"Same," I blithely replied.

"I assume you're wondering why you're here."

"Assume whatever you want, I don't care." I knew I was being bitchy, but I was never a fan of the stupid smoke and mirrors that the League put up. We all knew who they were, what was the point of acting so secretive?

The man leaned forward, his stern gaze sharpening towards me. Even still, I didn't react. "Congratulations, Katarina, you will be working with a new summoner. While I may not necessarily be in full agreement, my colleagues assure me that your soul has become far more compatible with others lately."

The announcement made my body go rigid before I clenched my fist. "Excuse me?! Where do you get off just throwing me to a bunch of new blood. It is not my job to teach them…"

"Your job is what we tell you your job is!" the man boomed, cutting her off before the woman stood, placing her hand on his shoulder to settle him down. With a huff, he sank back into his chair.

"Katarina, do not misunderstand," she explained, "this is not a punishment. We are trusting you with this position because of its importance. The summoner you'll be paired with is...unique. It is the start of a new era for the League, and this is a test to see if it will function well."

"So I'm a guinea pig now?"

"No you are a proctor. _He_ is the guinea pig," the older man responded, nodding his head towards the entrance. Turning to look over my shoulder, I was shocked to see a boy. He couldn't have been much older than fifteen.

"You have me _babysitting_?! That's even worse!"

The boy walked straight up beside me, ignoring my comment and bowing politely to the council. "Thank you for the invitation, Councilors. I am eager to prove myself on the fields of Justice." Turning to me, I simply glared at him. "It is also a pleasure to meet you, Lady Du Couteau."

I could tell that the words were whispered through gritted teeth and frustration. He was as unhappy about being here as I was, but still he tried to stay civil. "Ionian, hmm?" He said nothing, simply nodding my head, as if daring me to say something. A sly grin crossed my lips. I knew exactly how to make this one go running for the hills. "I suppose, if I must," I shrugged, turning away from him. "Come along, kid. I'll teach you the what's what."

"Kal." He hadn't budged from his spot. Turning to look back at him, I could see a strong defiance in his sapphire blue eyes. "My name is Kal." I let out a humph, turning away from him and walking once more through the large doors. Looking back to the councilor's he ran after me, falling into step behind me.

* * *

8 years later…

My heart was racing as I stood there in the Summoning chamber. The plan was a simple one. Magnus expected Kal to be with him there, unable to focus while standing so close to the man who'd captured his champion and lover. In order to counter this, he and I had switched places in secret, putting him in Summoner's Rift, a newly declared champion, with me as his summoner.

Needless to say, I was really nervous. I didn't use magic, never had. That meant that it was Kal and Kal alone who had to face whoever Magnus threw him up against. My eyes peered out from under the hood to look at my ex-lover standing beside me. He stood there, a cocky grin plastered on his face as he continued to say the most awful things to me about Ahri and what he'd done to her.

I was infuriated, but not for the reason he thought I was. Standing across from me was another Summoner: Magnus' underling. He was busy controlling Warwick while Magnus used his multiple channeled Sphere of Influence to control the other four at once. That was when I realized what his plan was.

"You monster…" I mumbled under my breath as Kal stood, standing toe to toe with Ahri.

Magnus chuckled, unable to recognize my voice. "What's wrong, boy? Finding it difficult to strike at your 'true love'? This is why you will lose and I will win. She doesn't love you anymore, Kal. She's mine, just as she has always been."

Kal's hand reached to his hood, drawing it back causing Magnus' eyes to go wide. "That's...that's impossible!" As he turned to look at me, I too removed my hood before in a single motion drawing a dagger and hurling it towards his partner just as he began to cast a spell.

He fell with a bloody plop to the ground, his sphere of influence rolling lazily between me and Magnus as our eyes met. "Surprise," I growled.

"You traitorous bitch," he snarled back. "How dare you do this to your Master? To your summoner!"

"Kal is my Summoner now. I am not your servant. I am not your pet. Oh, and before I forget," I quickly used my shunpo towards him, striking him hard in the chest with a kick as I rematerialized in front of him. As he stumbled back, I caught his Sphere and stabbed it with my dagger. As the light faded, I tossed it behind me. "Now you don't have any control. You're not going to hurt any champion, ever again!"

"So you're going to kill me, hmm? I doubt you have the guts. You were always a coward Kat."

With a grunt of rage, I hurled my dagger straight past his face, causing it leave a deep gash in his cheek that was sure to leave a scar. "My _real_ summoner has taught me quite a bit, Magnus. Lesson one is that killing you isn't the only solution. It'd be far too easy of a way out for you. Instead, we're going to rip away everything you love and I intend to make you watch every second of it."

He just chuckled, wiping a bit of blood from his face. "Like I said, cowardice. And before you begin celebrating my 'downfall' you may want to take a look at how well your summoner has fared."

Right as I opened my mouth to spit another insult, the back of my mind sent out an alarming ping to inform me of the worst: Kal was dead. Turning back, I saw Ahri standing over his charred corpse and sobbing. Now it was my turn to laugh. "You think Kal is stupid? He has the ability to resurrect, you know?"

"Oh, I'm aware he does," Magnus replied nonchalantly. "But she doesn't."

An alarmed cry echoed through the rift as I looked once again to see Warwick, standing behind the shocked Ahri. His clawed hand had been roughly impaled through her stomach, remnants of blood and intestine stuck on it...in addition to something else.

Kal managed to appear and slay Warwick, sending him back to respawn, but by then it was too late. I could see his lips moving as he shook her, trying to ensure that she stayed alive. My heart was pounding roughly as tears streamed from my eyes. "How's that for ripping away what you love?"

I let out a scream of fury as I grabbed him and forcefully threw him against the wall. My dagger poised high I drove it towards him, stopping it just an inch from his chest as I trembled with fury and hatred. "You monster! You thrice Gods damned monster! How could you?! You told her you loved her! She trusted you!"

"That's her problem, not mine. Or at least, it was her problem."

I went to end him, but Kal's voice in my mind stopped me. "Kat! We need to end this quickly! If we can, I can use my magic to revive Ahri, but we have to end this now!"

"Consider yourself lucky," I snarled before releasing him. Connecting to my mental link that spread through the team, I announced to them all. "Everyone, we have an emergency! Warwick has killed Ahri and Magnus has disabled her respawn. We don't have much time before she dies for good. This is a rush job! Ignore hostiles and run straight for the Nexus."

As the four other members ran for their destination, Kal cradled Ahri in his arms. I could still hear him crying over the mental line before I heard one sentence leave Ahri's lips. "Kal...I love you." After that, she fell limp in his arms. I'd been around death enough to know, there was no coming back. She was gone.

Not even a minute later, the Nexus exploded into shards of crystalline fragments and a huge nova erupted from Magnus' damaged sphere. As it washed over him, he looked at me in horror. "What have you done to me?!"

I ignored him, however. It wasn't long until the champions teleported beside me, Kal still holding Ahri in his arms. "You're going to pay for this, you bastard," Kal hissed, clutching her tightly. "She didn't do anything to you! I promised her, I'd make sure you never could treat someone the way you treated her again, and I've made good on that promise."

Magnus snarled, raising his hand to cast a spell, only for it to fizzle just short of his palm.

"Your magic is gone Magnus. You're no longer a Summoner. What's more, as a Summoner of the League, I hereby place you under arrest for the murder of Ahri, the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"You don't get to make that call, boy," he snapped, but even still, just as planned, two representatives of the League teleported in, grabbing Magnus roughly and dragging him away. At last, the threat was over.

As silence flooded us, everyone filed out of the room one by one. No one knew what to say to Kal, and despite that we won, it still felt as if the whole world had crumbled beneath our feet. Walking to him, I hesitated before attempting to place my hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "Go home, Kat," he instructed flatly. "I"ll return there once I finish giving her a proper burial."

Shrugging off my touch, he turn and marched out of the room, the limp body of his lover in his arms. I couldn't even begin to explain how much I was hurting for him, which made me realize that if I was in so much pain...how much could he be in and how would he cope with it?

"Aunt Kat?" Annie whimpered, tugging on my sleeve. "What happened to Ahri? If she's dead...who's going to be my new mommy? Kal promised. He promised that he and Ahri were going to be my new mommy and daddy."

I shushed her, holding her in my arms affectionately. "I don't know Annie, I really don't know." The young girl began crying now as I carried her with me to take the long train ride home to Noxus.

* * *

I stood over the small mound of dirt that rested just above the ruins of Ahri's home. The seemingly endless tears still flowed from me as I just hovered over her grave. She was dead. I'd failed. Magnus, despite now being in League custody, as far as I was concerned, had won. He took away my true love...and worse, as I just discovered, the would-be mother of my children.

Laying the flowers over her grave, I cleared my throat, trying to say something, anything that would make this better. This marked the second, third, and fourth person that I'd lost since my adventure began. "Ahri," I whimpered, "I don't know if you can hear me or not. I...I've always struggled to believe in something like life after death, but even still, I really hope you hear me when I say that I love you, too. I know you, and I know you're probably telling yourself that this is your fault. You weren't strong enough or something stupid like that." Running the back of my hand across my eyes, my arm came back damp from the tears that refused to cease. "But that's not true. The person who failed was me, Ahri. I failed you. I'm your Summoner, I was supposed to protect you! 'Rely on me the way I rely on you', remember? Well it's obvious now that you chose to rely on the wrong man."

Despite that she was dead, the bright sunlight did little to mourn her passing. There was no rain or dark stormy clouds to show that a great loss had occurred. There was no rainbow or chirping birds to show that she would be missed. All there was was the chirping of the cicadas as they waited patiently to consume whatever scraps of my lover could be retrieved under the ground.

"It's bullshit," I muttered, sinking to my knees to stare at her tombstone. On it was etched her name along with the words 'There is nothing stronger than the love between that of a boy and his fox'. But that was a lie. There was something stronger: death. "Why you? Why didn't he kill me instead? He threw you away so why did he have to take you back?"

"Kal?" I recognized the voice immediately.

"What are you doing here, Lux?"

The flaxen-haired maiden sank down to the ground beside me before giving me a tight hug. "Kal...I'm sorry."

"Sorry won't bring her back," I snapped coldly, not returning her embrace. "Don't pretend that you're not over the moon about this. You never liked Ahri."

"How can you say that?"

"You didn't!" I knew I wasn't being fair, but I couldn't stop, I was so angry. "You wanted me but you knew you couldn't have me because she did! Well congratulations Lux, she doesn't have me anymore! She'll never have me and I'll never have her!"

"I know you're just saying this because you're angry…" she started.

I cut her off. "Shut up! You're just a stupid kid! Sure, you forced me to have sex with you, but you think that makes you a woman? Ha! You're just a little girl who can't find a lover unless you rape him." There was a fierce slap in my face before Lux quickly covered her mouth in shock.

"Oh my Gods, Kal. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"Go," I ordered coldly.

"Kal…"

"I said, 'GO!' Get away from me! I never want to see you again, Lux! Do you understand me?! I _hate_ you and want you out of my life forever!"

I knew she was heartbroken, but I didn't care. With a sigh, she nodded slowly. "Alright, Kal...I understand." Getting up, she began to walk back down the hill before pausing. "Kal?"

"What now?"

"I just wanted to say that...if I were Ahri, I'd forgive you. She knows it's not your fault that this happened. Despite that she's dead, she still lives in your heart. Whenever you are done mourning...if you do need a friend...please, do me a favor: don't come to see me. I just can't handle this anymore."

I said nothing. I should have, but I didn't. Instead, I just let one of the closest people in my life walk away and did nothing to stop her. After another hour of just sitting there in silence, I stood from her grave, dusting off my pants legs. I wanted desperately to just lay there until I was dead. Until I was able to join Ahri again, wherever she was. My mission wasn't over yet, though. I wouldn't be done until Magnus was swinging from the end of a rope.

* * *

"Kat?" My sister asked as I continued to stare at the clock. "Kat!"

"Sorry, Cass," I apologized, my senses returning to me.

"You're really worried."

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

She sighed. "I know we've never been close...but if you need someone, I'm here for you. You know that right?"

I smiled at my younger sister, weakly. "Thanks, Cass. I'll bear it in mind. It's not me that you need to be there for." She nodded in understanding, just as the door creaked open. I stood quickly, only to slowly sit back down when the face of Talon emerged from around the corner.

"Poor thing," he commented. "The young girl has cried herself to sleep. I know it will be hard for her to adjust to this new life." Walking into the room, he slowly set down a tray with two tea cups on it. "I thought you could use something to soothe your nerves," he explained.

"Thanks Talon," I murmured, sipping from my tea. Despite the sentiment, it did little to help. "I'm grateful to have such wonderful family. Right now though, I'd appreciate it if we focused more on Kal. I know he's hurting more than anyone."

As if one cue, the front doors opened, revealing the disheveled Summoner who stumbled through the grand foyer. As I went to talk to him, I nearly had to step back. He reeked of booze. It was as if he bathed in a distillery. "Hello, Kat. You stayed up?" His words were slurred and weak as he went for the stairs before I could respond.

"Kal, how much have you had to drink?"

"Not nearly enough," he groaned. "I'm shtill breathing."

Just as he nearly tripped over himself, I caught him in my arms, supporting his torso against mine. "What happened to you? This isn't how she'd want you to behave."

"What does it matter what she wants?!" Kal snapped drunkenly. "She's dead! She's not coming back so what in the Hells does she care if I drink or not?" I frowned, biting my lip nervously. This was not how my summoner acted. This was not the real Kal. "I've decided," he continued, "I'm going to just do whatever I want now. I"m going to drink myself into a stupor every night and I don't even care if I puke or anything. I mean, everyone's just going to leave anyway, right? So who cares what I do."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. "No one's going to leave you."

"Lux did," he objected. "She told me that if I needed a friend not to visit her."

"That doesn't sound like something Lux would say," i murmured in thought.

"Are you calling me a liar?!" he accused, his voice raising to that of a shout. "That's an insult to my honor, Kat! I don't care if you are my champion, I'm not afraid to kick your ass." He weakly went to punch me, but I just stepped out of the way, causing him to twirl and begin to fall to the ground.

Again, I caught him, cradling him in my arms protectively. "Talon, grab his legs. Help me get him to bed. We'll watch him in shifts tonight, but I don't want him to be alone at any point, understand? I don't want Annie to see him like this either."

"As you command, Lady Du Couteau." Together, the two of us dragged my half-conscious Summoner to the spare bedroom I'd set up for him. As we placed him there, I began to tuck him into bed, his eyes closing slightly.

"Kat?"

"Yes, Kal?"

"I wish I was dead."

"Don't say that, Kal. If you were dead, we'd all miss you terribly."

"You're just saying that. I know you secretly hate me. You've always hated me. Ever since the academy. You killed my other friend. You only came to me because you were jealous of how much Magnus liked Ahri's sex than yours."

"Shhh," I hushed him, turning off the lamp beside his bed. "You're drunk, Kal. You're spouting off silliness now. Go to sleep. We'll talk about it in the morning."

"Fine," he grumbled.

As Talon and I left the room, he looked at me in confusion. "You killed his friend?"

I let out a huff. "It's a long story. I'm not happy about it and I wasn't really myself. Technically, it was Warwick who also killed her, but that doesn't change the fact that I helped him. I may not be able to take back what I did, but I can try to make up for it."

"You're a good friend, Lady Du Couteau. Please, try to bear that in mind."

I nodded in understanding. "I will."

"I've missed you, you know?" Talon commented as we walked together down the stairs. "You've been away for a long time. I was really worried. It started with the weekly visits. Then they became daily."

I grasped his wrist, squeezing it in request that he stop his current train of thought. "It's over now," I assured him. "That's all that's important." As my grip fell from him, he nodded in understanding.

"Would you care for a bath, Lady Du Couteau?"

"Talon, you're not my butler. If anything, you're more like a little brother."

"I appreciate you saying so, Lady Du Couteau. However, my place is to serve the family, so serve it I shall, be it by blade or bath." He chuckled at his own joke for a moment before clearing his throat. "Besides, I ask as a friend, not as a servant."

I let out a sigh of surrender before smiling dimly, "Sure Talon, a bath sounds wonderful to me. I'll be up in a minute once I finish the tea you made me." As he flickered from sight, I returned to the sitting room where Cass lay curled up on the sofa. "Sorry about that, Cass. I didn't mean to interrupt our conversation."

Cass smirked as she sipped her tea. "You've changed a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, look at you! Cold, bloodthirsty, blade of Noxus. The thought of taking a _bath_ would have been abhorrent to you not even a few years ago. And you certainly wouldn't apologize for interrupting a conversation." Her hand extended outwards to point to the cup in my hands. "You're even drinking tea _with your pinky out_!"

Now that she'd pointed it out, I shyly tucked it back beneath my other fingers. I hadn't even realized that I'd begun that strange habit. "Still...those are just small things."

"Maybe by themselves, but you _are_ different now. It's a good change, Kat." She paused, raising her tea to her lips. "But that's none of my business."

"I'm glad you think so, but it still scares me," I retorted. "I don't like the thought of going soft. The whole, feminine noble thing was always your forte, not mine. You've changed yourself, you know? You used to always be so gloomy, but now it feels like you're hardly ever without a smile on your face." Noting the color on her cheeks, a smile spread across my lips as well. "Oh! You have a crush!"

"Do not!"

"Do so!" I teased, sliding closer to her to prod her playfully in the sides. "Cass has a crush on a boy! Come on, tell me who!"

"No," she squealed giggling as her sister attempted to tickle the information from her. "I don't want to."

"Oh ho! So you do have a crush! Now I have to know! It's not Talon is it?"

"Ew! No, he's like our brother. No it's that magician that Dad hired for me forever ago to cheer me up."

"That little kid? Cass…"

"He's not a little kid anymore!" she protested. "I mean...he's a teenager now, at least."

I sighed, withdrawing from her. "Cass, you're seventeen. You're nearly an adult now."

"I am an adult," she protested. "I've been courting since I first came of age when I was _ten_ if you recall."

"That's not my concern," I tried.

"Then what is your concern? So he's four years younger than me. Who cares?! Dad married Mom and they were _ten_ years apart."

"Look, I can't explain to you, okay? But it's different when you're older. Right now, it comes off as creepy, possibly criminal."

"Shut up, Kat. No one asked you," she hissed. "This is why I didn't want to tell you."

My heart sank before I slid closer to her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and hugging her tightly.

"What are you doing?" Cass asked confused.

"It's called a 'hug', Cass."

"Shut up. I know what a hug is. Why are you hugging me?"

I smiled at her before kissing her cheek playfully. "Because I didn't do it enough when we were younger, so I'm making up for it now. I tell you what, your crush, your life. I won't stand in the way if you pursue it."

"Pursue it? No, no, no. I can't tell him, are you crazy?!"

"Why not?"

"Umm, hello?" Her tail whipped back and forth. "You know, half snake? He's not going to go after someone as ugly as me."

"Nonsense. You're not ugly, Cass. I, for one, still think you're plenty beautiful."

"You're an idiot," she sighed. "Hey, isn't Talon making you a bath? You should probably go."

I looked up to the ceiling, to hear that sure enough, the water had stopped running. Releasing her from my embrace, I stood with a grin. "Fine, you're off the hook...for now. Tomorrow morning, I expect to hear all about him, understood?"

Cass rolled her eyes. "Fine."

After finally sinking into the warm sudsy water, I smiled feeling the ripples lap away at the stress of my body. When was the last time that I'd taken some time to just relax? There was a knock at the door and covering myself, I called to whoever it was to come in. "Aunt Kat?" Annie's voice called out.

Relaxing, I turned over to smile at her. "What's wrong sweetie? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Kal's throwing up a lot."

I sighed softly. "Yeah, your daddy isn't feeling so well. I tell you what. You run back to bed, okay? I'll take care of it."

"Okay," she whispered, just standing there.

"Something else?"

"Why do you have such big boobs?"

I blinked in surprise. That question had come out of nowhere. "Well...probably because my mommy had big boobs, so now I have big boobs. And if the man I marry has a mommy with big boobs, then our daughter would have big boobs too. Out of curiosity, why do you ask?"

"Dad was talking about in a funny voice when he was throwing up. He kept talking about how he was going to miss them and their pet kitty."

Right then, it looked like my relaxation time was over. Standing up, I wrapped a towel around myself. Second priority: soundproofing Kal's room. First: making sure he didn't drown in a puddle of his own vomit. "Go ahead and go back to bed Annie. I'll take care of him, okay?"

"Thanks Aunt Kat."

As I opened the door, I found Kal huddled over a trash can, clearly out of his mine as he rambled between retches. "Oh Kal, you damned fool," I grumbled, sitting on my knees beside him and stroking his back.

"Huh? Oh, hi Kat. I don't want sex. I'm married, you know?"

"Kal, you're not married and I don't want sex."

"You don't? I'd be a catch, I'll…" he paused to vomit into the trashcan once more, "have you know."

"Yes, Kal. Every woman wants a man who will vomit into a waste bin over her."

"Good, good. I appear to be good at that."

After a few minutes, he seemed more coherent and the vomiting came to a stop. I didn't stop sitting there for another hour after that though. After the vomit came the tears. I prayed that this wasn't how it would always be for Kal, stuck between being wasted and being in agony. "Alright, mister. Off to bed with you," I instructed, helping him back up on to his feet and escorting him to the plush mattress that was waiting for him. The door opened to reveal Talon with a glass of water and an aspirin.

"I heard what was happening," he explained as I snatched them from him and quickly downed it.

"Thanks, Talon."

"...That was for him, Lady Du Couteau."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Talon. Could you grab another one?"

He nodded, returning shortly after to leave me the new medication. With Kal's stomach settled, I parted his lips slightly and placed the pill in his mouth before lifting the water for him to drink. "Ahri, I don't need a pill. I swear...I'm not seasick," he grumbled in his stupor once the water was gone. My heart felt a tinge of pain for him.

"I'm really sorry, Kal," I whispered to him, though I doubted he could hear me. "I know you're hurting really badly. But I promise, I'm going to do everything I can to get you through this. You're my Summoner, and I'm not going to let you crash to your demise."

He smiled up at me. "Oh Kat, you're here too."

"Too?" I looked around me to find the room completely empty.

"Yeah. Ahri's standing right next to you. Can't you see her?"

My blood ran cold as a shiver went through my spine. "Kal, you're drunk. You need to get some sleep. Go to bed, okay? Don't worry about Ahri, she's already resting elsewhere."

"Oh...okay," he mumbled before closing his eyes. Gods, this was going to be difficult.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 2

 **AN: And here is chapter number two. Just a few quick things out of the way for reference: Kal joined the experimental Institute at the age of seventeen. Kat is a few years older than him, so she was about twenty-two when she was assigned to him. Cass started courting at the extremely young age of ten, and was transformed not even a year later. Five years later, Kal graduated from the academy, and met Ahri. The events of ABAHF take a span of about two years. Thus, in this story, Kal is 24, Kat is 29, and Cass is 17. Just to give a frame of reference. Anyway, I was super stoked to read the positive feedback from you guys, and I greatly appreciate it. I have a hard time not posting a bunch of chapters for a story in a row, so this may be what gets updated for a few more chapters before I sink into rotation again. I hope you guys enjoy. -Kiba**

The first thing I was aware of was the crippling chill that ran through me. Why was it so cold? It was freezing. All around me there was a shimmering light as my eyes came open. I felt...empty. I can't explain, but it was as if there was a part of me missing. "Hello?" I called into the brightness. Still there was nothing, but I could hear distorted voices all around me.

"I know you, and I know you're probably telling yourself that this is your fault." Was he talking to me? I opened my mouth to speak before realizing that I didn't even know who I was. What had happened to me? "You weren't strong enough or something stupid like that."

"You know me?" I asked, the world around me starting to come to a distorted image. Before me there was a man on his knees, head bowed and tears falling from his cheeks. "Who am I?"

"But that's not true. The person who failed was me, Ahri! I was your summoner, I was supposed to protect you! 'Rely on me like I rely on you', remember? Well, it's obvious now you chose to rely on the wrong man."

"Why are you ignoring my question?" I tried, but still he didn't look up. "Am I...Ahri?" My eyes looked past him to see a blonde woman approaching. "Maybe she is."

"It's bullshit! Why you?! Why didn't he kill me instead?! He threw you away so why did he have to take you back?!"

"Kal?" The man responded for the first time, turning to look over his shoulder at the blonde woman. He did not seem happy to see her.

"What are you doing here, Lux?"

As she knelt beside him, she gave him an affectionate hug. "Kal...I'm sorry."

The man, 'Kal' seemed to only get angrier with every word. "Sorry won't bring her back," he seethed, "and don't pretend like you're not over the moon that she's gone. You never liked Ahri."

"How can you say that?"

"You didn't!" His voice snapped sharply, causing even me to flinch in surprise. Why was he treating her like this? "You wanted me but you knew you couldn't have me because she did! Well congratulations Lux, she doesn't have me anymore! She'll never have me and I'll never have her!"

Now I was getting sick of his attitude. How could he just yell at her like then when she was just trying to help? "Hey, stop it! Can't you see she's upset?" I shouted, but he just ignored me again.

"I know you're just saying this because you're angry…"

He interrupted her, causing my blood to boil. "Shut up! You're just a stupid kid! Sure, you forced me to have sex with you, but you think that makes you a woman? Ha! You're just a little girl who can't find a lover unless you rape him." Her hand was a flash of movement as she slapped him across the face. I could tell immediately though, she regretted it. This was all so confusing. Who were these people? Why wouldn't they talk to me?

"Oh my Gods, Kal. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…"

But it was too late, the damage had been done. He demanded that she leave, his rage taking over him. I wasn't sure who to side with anymore. She agreed to leave, though it was obviously a reluctant choice.

"I just wanted to say that...if I were Ahri, I'd forgive you. She knows it's not your fault that this happened. Despite that she's dead, she still lives in your heart. Whenever you are done mourning...if you do need a friend...please, do me a favor: don't come to see me. I just can't handle this anymore."

As she went to leave, I went after her, trying to catch up but once I reached a certain point, I felt like I'd run into a wall. This was beyond bizarre. The world still seemed to be under a layer of water with the way images wavered, and now extending my hand, I found myself unable to get through the rippling wall.

If I was Ahri, she said I'd died...maybe she knew what happened, but I still couldn't get to her. Turning back to the man, I growled. "Alright, you dick! You're going to tell me what's going on right now, or I'll…" my words trailed off when I went to grasp his shirt, only for my hands to fade through him as if he were just a cloud of mist. I stepped back from him in shock. What was happening to me?!

Looking down at myself, my eyes widened. There, right in my stomach, was a large bloody and sopping mess. My intestines were ripped and torn, dangling out like pieces of string. Even more horrifying, however, was the obvious umbilical cord, ripped from my wound.

I let out a shrill scream of horror as I began to fall into a desperate panic. I was dead! I died! Someone had killed me and I was dead now! And...and...and...I had a baby? They took my baby too?! I trembled as I looked back at the gravestone, my eyes focusing on the inscription. The thing terrified me, but even still, my finger tips slowly extended outward, tracing my name on the cold stone. 'A-H-R-I', Ahri.

Kal stood up behind me, causing me to turn after him. "No, no! Wait! Please!" I begged, rushing after him as he broke through the same fluctuating wall. Even still I was trapped within it."No, come back!" I sank to my knees slamming my fist hard against the wall, over and over again, still imprisoned on this stupid hill. "Please...come back…" I sobbed.

* * *

When Kal finally woke up, he gripped his head tightly. Even with the thick curtains blocking out the sun, the light seemed to make him feel as if his brain was slamming repeatedly against the inside of his skull. "I see that Talon's cure didn't help too much," I said, causing him to jerk around quickly. He immediately regretted that action though, because without hesitation he vomited straight into the trashcan between us.

"I must have drank too much," he groaned weakly.

"Yes, you did." Walking to him, I smacked him upside the head. "Don't you ever do something so stupid again! You gave Annie a heart attack! She thought you were seriously hurt, Kal!"

"Quieter, quieter please," he begged, placing a hand to his forehead. Instead, I just hit him again.

"Gods, Kal. You were so drunk you were hallucinating," I lectured. "You scared the Hells out of me."

"I...I don't remember."

"And it's best that it stays that way," I replied, sitting beside him on the bed. "I talked to the League. I convinced them to postpone our debriefing for a week."

"You did what?! Oww."

I frowned, biting my lip. I should have expected him to act like this. "Kal, you just lost your best friend and the woman you loved. You need to take a few days to let it all sink in. I'm not saying it won't hurt...but I am saying that you need time to adjust."

He stood up quickly before his arms shot out, catching himself and regaining his balance. Taking a deep breath as he steadied himself, he turned to me. "That's not up to you, Kat. I can handle it, honestly. I'm going to call them back and tell them we've changed our minds." As he went to leave, I circled in front of him and blocked him from leaving. "Kat," he groaned, "you're acting like a child."

"And you're acting like an idiot," I countered. "Kal, you're on a very dangerous path. I don't want to see you spiral out of control. If you think you can handle it, fine. But please, try to compromise with me?"

"There's nothing to compromise."

"Yes, there is! Give me a day...no, two days. Just two days, not including today, to get back on your feet before we go to the League. I'll call them myself and reschedule, I swear. But right now, you need to rest."

The anger in his eyes flared up as he tightened his fist before slowly exhaling and uncurling his fingers. "Fine. Two days, that's it. Then we get back to work." He turned away from me and stormed back to the bed. Laying himself upon it, he turned away from me.

Great, now he was pouting. "I know how it feels," I finally stated. "You feel empty without her, like there's a hole where blood and flesh should be." He turned back, the rage still present. "You feel like no one understands and the worst part is that even though you feel like your life was destroyed the world keeps turning without even giving a damn about her."

"Pretty speech," he grumbled, turning away again. Grasping his shoulder, I roughly turned him back to face me.

"You are _not_ the only person who misses her," I whispered, trying to be stern yet gentle. "You are not the only one hurting, Kal. Annie cried all the way here because she lost _another_ parent. Do you think it was easy for her?"

"Annie is ten. She cries when she loses a game of cards. She'd never met Ahri."

"Well, fine then. What about Lux?"

"Drop it Kat," he warned, but I ignored him.

"Do you think she doesn't care?"

"Drop it!" He shouted, his hand lashing out towards me. His movements were sloppy from his latent intoxication, allowing me to catch his wrist and force it behind his back. "Let go of me."

"No," I replied, ensuring I was not hurting him. Holding him in place, I took deep breaths. The old me would have taken the opportunity to dislocate his shoulder as a lesson for swinging at me, regardless of his reason. Cass was right. I was changing. "Kal, this isn't who you are. Do you think this is how Ahri would want to see you? Do you think this is how she wants you to mourn her loss?"

He stayed quiet for a moment and soon, I felt him relax in my grip. "I told Lux I hated her," he finally explained. "I accused her of being glad that Ahri was dead and that she was going to try to make a move on me."

"Oh, Kal," I sighed.

"When she left, we agreed that we'd never see each other again. It's not just her either. Lucian...Jinx...even Teemo and Tristana. None of them came to her funeral. No one showed up to mourn her loss except for me."

I slowly released him from my grip, causing him to roll over to look up at me. His eyes were bloodshot and blotchy as he began to cry again. "I can't speak for the others," I tried, "but if it helps, I can tell you why I didn't go." He swallowed nervously, but nodded for me to continue. "I blame myself for what happened," I finally uttered. He seemed incredibly confused and hurt, so I just let all of the things I'd held in spill out. "Ahri wouldn't be with Magnus if not for me. I made you trade Annie for her, and despite what we told the League, we both know that I was never really under Magnus' control. I was just...stupid. When I was in the Summoning Chamber, I killed Warwick's Summoner. I revealed our hand too soon, so Magnus was able to remove her resurrection bond. But most importantly, I didn't kill Magnus when I had the chance, and for that I'm so, so very sorry."

"No, it wasn't your fault. If it was anyone's it was mine. I took too long. Instead of looking for her, I tried to find some magic rings because beating Magnus wasn't enough. I had to make him suffer. I got arrogant and hot-headed."

Just as I opened my mouth to dissuade him from that notion, the door bell rang causing the two of us to freeze. I climbed off of him, walking to the window to look outside. The carriage was one I recognized immediately. "Oh shit…"

"What? What's happening?"

Ignoring Kal, I went to the door. "Stay here. It'll be fine, but I want you to rest more. I'll come talk to you in a bit." Before he could respond, I closed the door behind me, walking to the banister as Talon opened the door and stood aside.

With a patient series of clicks, the High General himself strode into the foyer, his cane in one hand and a basket in the other. It always surprised me that a man with a limp could still appear so regal and upright. "Good morning, Lady Du Couteau," he called politely.

With a puff of mist, I arrived just in front of him, bowing my head. "To what do I owe the pleasure, sir?" Behind him, I could see Talon, standing between him and the door, his hand jammed into his pocket in a sign of nervous tension.

"I've heard that young master Kal is in mourning and I wished to offer my condolences," he answered, hobbling towards the staircase and looking around in interest. "I truly must visit you more. It seems the only time I'm ever present is when there is bad news looming over us."

"And we'd be glad to have you," I added, though it couldn't be further from the truth. As much as I respected the man, like Talon, he always made me uneasy, especially with that crow that rested on his shoulder. "Unfortunately, Kal is rather unwell, in addition to his mourning. He's not fit to have visitors, but I could give him a message."

His sharp eyes pierced through mine as if able to see directly into my brain, before he slowly shook his head. "That is not an option, I am afraid. It is urgent that he and I have words." He went to move up the stairs, but I quickly cut him off. His normally expressionless face curled into a frown. "Katarina, move aside."

"I told you, he's not well. When he's regained his strength, then and only then can you talk to him."

He took a deep breath. "As your High General," he commanded lowly, "I am ordering you to move aside. You may join me in speaking to him if you wish, but you will not prohibit me from visiting him. Do I make myself clear?"

A shudder ran up my spine as the two of us glared at one another. Behind him, Talon looked as if he were ready for a fight, but reluctantly, I nodded. "Fine," I agreed, "but if it becomes too stressful for him, you need to leave."

"I understand your concern, Lady Du Couteau," he replied. "You have my word that it will be quick. This will not take long at all." As he moved past me, I lowered my hand to signal to Talon to be at ease. He nodded, but even still he looked to be on edge.

I opened the door of the room, entering first and clearing my throat. "You have a visitor," I announced, causing Kal to sit up slowly.

"Good morning, Summoner," Swain greeted, just as politely and cheerfully as he had greeted me. "I apologize for intruding upon your grieving, but I wished to offer you my condolences in person."

"That's not necessary," Kal stated, looking to me as if to ask why on Runeterra I felt this was a good idea, "but thank you anyway."

Swain stepped closer, despite Kal's subtle hint to leave him be, setting the basket beside him. "Pomegranates," he explained, noting his quizzical gaze. "They say that eating pomegranates can help ease the pain of mourning. They are also a symbol of rebirth. They help to start a new life. Two are for you, the other two are for your friend's grave."

Kal's silent anger was building again, so I quickly cleared my throat. "That was very thoughtful of you, sir, but I thought you had urgent news for him."

"Ah yes, so I do. Thank you, Katarina," he answered, reaching into his inner coat pocket and removing a rolled up scroll. It was bound with ribbon and sealed with League's official seal. "When I received the news, I just had to deliver it in person."

The summoner cautiously took it from Swain's outstretched hand, slipping the ribbon from it and removing the wax seal. Unrolling it, his eyes began to scan it before a scowl formed on his face. "Is this some sort of joke?" he snarled.

"Now, now," Swain lectured, "I for one think this is excellent news. Do you not agree?"

"Hells no, I don't agree!" Kal boomed, causing me to run rigid with fear of Swain's retaliation. Instinctively, I flashed to the High General's side, pressing my hand down on his where he held his cane, but he simply smiled, looking up to me and reassuringly patting my hand. "This is bullshit."

Taking the paper, I began to read it myself.

'Dearest Summoner,

It has recently come to our attention that you have voluntarily changed the champion you were bound to. After some further study into our records, we have also discovered that the original Summoning pool you were presented to was incorrect. You have our sincerest apologies for this mishap, but it shall be rectified immediately. As of today, you are no longer a Summoner of Ionia and are now to be assigned as a Summoner of Noxus. You will now represent them in League encounters and will have a direct role in shaping their conflicts. Our records will now also reflect that you have ceased to be bound to Ahri, League titled: The Nine-Tailed Fox, and are now official bound to Katarina Du Couteau, League titled: The Sinister Blade. We congratulate you on this transition, and your support is greatly appreciated.

Best of luck, Summoner,

The Council of Equity'

In that short moment, many conflicting emotions blended together. I couldn't believe that the League was seriously so stupid as to bring up that he'd lost his previous champion, knowing what they knew. Voluntary, my ass. However, part of me was overjoyed at the proposition. Kal was officially a Noxian. We'd be serving together, which meant that we could still take part in the conflicts instead of having to wait until the next Summoner Pool. "Kal, do you know what this means?"

"Yeah. It means the League has forced me to be a traitor to my own country."

"Hardly," Swain retorted. "Rather, the League has simply brought you back to your true home. Once one is a Noxian, I fear that they will always be a Noxian."

"I am _not_ Noxian!" he argued, but I quickly grasped his hand. Even still he ripped it away. "I'm Ionian, regardless of what some stupid piece of paper says. Sorry, but you'll have to find someone else to do your dirty work."

"Kal, the council…" I began.

"To the Hells with the Council," he growled. "They have no right."

"Forgive me for disagreeing," Swain calmly stated, "but you have little choice in the matter. I would like to point out that you have been registered as Champion of the League, is that not so?"

"What of it?"

The High General gave a wry smirk. "Well, I feel the answer should be simple. You could refuse to be a Summoner for Noxus. However, the contract you made with the League forces your bond to them. They've already placed you in the Noxian pool, which means you would become a Noxian champion. One controlled by another Summoner," he nodded his head towards me to indicate who he was referring to. "So the question is a simple one: would you prefer to be controlled or the one doing the controlling? I think the answer is an obvious one."

"Kat wouldn't accept that," he shot back. I however, said nothing. "Right? Kat?"

"..."

"You wouldn't force me to fight as a Champion of Noxus, would you?"

Closing my eyes, I knew he wouldn't enjoy my answer. "I'm sorry, Kal. Noxus is my home. If the tables were turned, you would make me fight for Ionia, right? This is the exact same thing."

"It is not the same thing!" Kal argued, but I could sense he knew that I was right.

"Tell you what," Swain replied. "I'll sweeten the deal. As a Summoner of Noxus, you have access to certain...benefits. Among these is access to all of the personnel records of the Noxian military. We are very well organized. We include pictures, names, stations and how long they were stationed there. It would be rather easy to find someone you were looking for: say a war criminal in need of being brought to justice." Kal said nothing in response, just glaring at Swain even further. "Just some food for thought," he explained, turning to leave.

"I'm still not going to be a Summoner for Noxus," Kal called to him.

Pausing at the door, the High General simply looked over his shoulder at him. "That is your choice. I cannot force you to do something you don't like to. I will say this though, should you find a war criminal, you can rest assured that I will see to it he is punished to full extent of our laws. I will allow you your respite. Enjoy the pomegranates." As he pulled the door closed behind him, I watched Kal's reaction carefully.

"Kal?"

"I won't do it."

"I don't want to have to control you, Kal."

"It doesn't matter, I won't do that either."

"You don't have a choice."

"There is always a choice!" he shot back. "So help me, Kat. I swear to you that I'd sooner die than swear my allegiance to Noxus."

"Why are you so against this?" I demanded.

"Because I refuse to have come so far only to be forced to be a villain!"

I felt my heart crack a little as I took a step back from him. "A villain? Is...is that how you really see Noxians?"

"Yes."

Tears began to form in my eyes. "I'm not evil," I whispered.

Understanding dawned at him. "Not you, Kat. Of course I didn't mean you! You're different."

"Save it," I barked, causing him to flinch. "You may be ashamed to call yourself Noxian, but I'm not! I for one am proud to be a part of something that refuses to to simply bury my head in the ground and pretend I'm in some sort of dream land. So you'd better get used to being a 'villain' Kal, because I will not turn my back on Noxus." WIth that, I went to run out of the room, before he chased after me.

"Kat, wait!"

I ignored him, taking a sharp turn down a hallway. I had to get away from him. I couldn't let him see me this way. Finally coming to a slowed pace in a long corridor, I sat against a wall, closing my eyes and tilting my head up towards the ceiling. Gods give me strength.

* * *

"Can you please slow down a little bit?" Kal called from behind me.

"Nope. Keep up kid, or you'll be left in the dust."

"Kal."

"Whatever." I couldn't believe that the League had honestly started this program. Training sixteen year olds to be Summoners. Then again, they'd also used my sister as a Champion, so if they'll take her, they'll take just about anyone. Sure enough, he managed to fall into pace with me as I stormed through the halls. I wasn't full-out sprinting mind you, but I made sure he would get his work out. That was when I managed to catch him staring at me with those eyes of his. They were like those of a puppy dog. "What?"

"Sorry, I'm just really excited. You're the first champion I've met in person. I can't believe you're going to be the first person I summon." His words were so giddy, I thought he was going to explode from excitement. "I mean, it'd be awesome if it was someone other than a Noxian but…"

He barely had time to even process my movement as I grasped him by the collar, threw him against the wall, and placed my blade at his neck. "This is your only warning kid. You want to see me turn into a bitch, keep talking smack about Noxus. Believe me, I can make your life a living nightmare."

"I thought that was Nocturne."

I slammed him against the wall again, slightly nicking his neck and causing a few droplets of blood to trickle onto my blade. "You think this is a game, smart-ass? When you're on that field then entire world has its eyes on you. That means every mistake you make, every flaw in your strategies, every tiny little screw-up that you make is on display for everyone. So here's my advice to you: shut your mouth. The less you talk, the less likely you'll say something stupid or something that will get you killed." I tugged my blade away before giving him a condescending pat on the cheek. "Understand, kid?"

"Kal," he shot back. "Call me by my name."

"Kid, I don't give a damn what your name is," I replied, going to walk again as he followed closely behind me. As we continued down one of the Institute's many hallways, I could hear the familiar hissing of my sister coming from the path. A soft smile crept onto my face. Time to scare the Hells out of this little kid. I made sure my expressions darkened as I came to a halt, extending my hand to stop him. "Wait."

"What is it?" He whispered but I shushed him. I pretended to listen to something far in the distance, but the truth was, I could tell she was about six feet away from our path.

"A monster."

"A monster?"

"Gods, kid, do I have to explain everything to you? You know those wild beasts on the Rift?"

"The...enchanted ones?"

"Good, so you're not a total idiot. Well, the League experiments constantly trying to figure out ways to replace them with ones that are more ferocious and fierce. Every now and then, one becomes smart enough to escape its captors and begins wandering the halls. Keep your wits about you, we're going to have to fight it."

"Just us? I don't even have my Sphere yet!"

"Shhh!" I silenced him. "You still know some magic, don't you? Well use it. I'll attack first and distract it, then you let 'em have it. Got it?" He nodded obediently. I smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Good. I'm counting on you kid." Just as she came around the corner, about fifty feet ahead of us, I cursed. "It's a Gorgon."

"A what?"

"Don't look in her eyes, it'll turn you into stone. Now on the count of three. One...two...three!" With that, I used my shunpo to vanish and reappear behind a nearby pillar so I could watch my trick unfold. The look on the kid's face was priceless as he began to look around frantically for some way to protect himself. When she was about ten feet from him, he resorted to covering his eyes with his face and turning away, pressing himself as close to the wall as he could.

Cass, noticing his odd behavior came to a pause. "What are you doing?" she hissed, still attempting to learn to talk with her new tongue. "Do you need help?"

The kid was trembling in his boots now as he held his hand towards her, palm outward. I watched as flames trickled into his palm, forming into a small fiery sphere that burned with an emerald green hue. "Stay away from me, monster!" he shouted, causing my sister to withdraw. "Get away!"

Cass was so upset, she looked like she was about to cry her eyes out. "I'm…not a monster…" she choked. "Just because I look different…*hic* doesn't mean you can treat me like this. Gods, will you look at me?! I'm not even that ugly!"

"No," he snapped back. "I refuse to look at something so hideously monstrous." With that, Cass fled from him, sobbing from his harsh words. Once she was out of sight, I stepped from behind the pillar patting his shoulder and causing him to flinch.

"Good work, kid. I think you scared it off."

The flames died from his hand as he opened his deep blue eyes to stare up at me. "Katarina, are you sure that she was a monster? She sounded really sad."

"She's literally a snake, kid. She was trying to trick you into looking at her so she could turn you into stone. Good job not falling for it. There have been quite a few guards who have, sadly." As I walked past one of the many stone statues of warriors, I looked up to one before shaking my head in shame.

Behind me, I could hear the kid cautiously avoiding the stone sculpture, trying to stay behind me. "Why did you just ditch me like that?" he demanded. "What if she'd attacked me?"

"Obviously, I would have stepped in. That was a test, kid. You passed. Gold star."

He nodded in understanding before speaking up again. "So how does it feel when you're being Summoned? Is it weird?"

"Extremely," I replied. "It's like, your body is moving despite that you're telling it to, and yet, the movements are familiar, easy. It's like something is wearing you as a suit but has the power to move like you move, fight like you fight."

"When will I get to Summon you? I promise, I'll try to be as unweird as possible."

I turned on him, extending my arm to stop him. "Slow down, kid. I'm not going to just let you Summon me because some stuffy bureaucrats say so."

"But...the Council…"

"But the Council…" I repeated, mocking him. "Kid, Summoning is based on trust. If I'm going to give you control of my body, you can bet that you're going to have to make me trust you first. You're already off to a bad start with your comment about Noxus. If you're going to be a Summoner, you'll have to put your prejudices aside and learn to trust me, too. All right?"

He nodded. "Okay. I'll trust you."

"Perfect," I answered, turning away from him to head down the hall again. _This is too easy,_ I thought to myself. _This kids going to regret the day he crossed paths with me. I'll send him running home in tears._

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 3

As I sat there, a shadow fell over me. Opening my eyes, I looked to Kal who was panting heavily from having to keep up. "What do you want?"

"Kat, I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean it like that. But what am I supposed to think? Noxus killed my little sister. They're the ones who nearly destroyed my home. You have to understand."

My red curls flowed around me as I shook my head. "Only one man hurt your sister Kal. As for the conflict, it's over. There's no point in capturing Ionia outside of the League. They're protected. They won. Why can't you let go of the past?"

"Because the way Noxus attacked was inexcusable."

After a few moments, I wiped my eyes. "Do you trust me, Kal?"

"That's a dumb question."

"Answer it."

"Of course I trust you, Kat. You're my champion."

I stared into his eyes fiercely, "Then please...trust me on this." I could see the hesitation there as he turned and sat beside me. My hand went for his, taking it in mine and weaving my fingers between his. "We're partners, Kal. I'd never intentionally lead you astray because I'd be right there beside you the entire time."

"You know, Kat. In the Academy, you really messed me up. You convinced me to trust you then and it came back to bite me." I fell silent, releasing his hand, but his tightened on mine to keep it there. "I'm not saying that I don't trust you, Kat. In fact, right now you're probably the only one I do trust. Right now, I'm just scared. You've changed a lot since the Academy, and I want to believe that you won't ever go back to how you were. I've had trouble before staying between the light and the flames...now, most of my light is gone. I don't want the flames to consume me."

I smiled softly, reaching up with my other arm to wipe my eyes. "Kal...even if I can't promise that I won't stay this way...would you still be my summoner?"

"..."

"Then we're in agreement. Because if you couldn't promise me that you wouldn't stay how you are, then I wouldn't want you to be my summoner either. I'm not the only one who's changed since the Academy. Don't think I haven't forgotten the sniveling, cowardly kid who didn't know the meaning of restraint." He turned to glare at me, but I just leaned forward and placed a playful kiss on his cheek. "We're both different now, Kal. But we're different together, and so long as we stay together, we can help each other."

"I just...I can't be a Noxian, Kat. It just isn't who I am. I'm sorry."

Both of us sighed as we sat there in shared silence. "Did I ever tell you the story of how I got my scar?" I asked, sliding a little closer to him so that we were pressed together in the cold, empty corridor. A chill had passed through me, and I'd hoped he'd help to remove it.

"No," he admitted, shying away from my touch. "I don't think you have."

"So...as you know, my job in the Noxian military was that of an assassin. I was trained by my father from a young age, and I was damned good at it too. One day, the orders were passed down to me that I was to take out a Demacian Lieutenant. Some no-namer I'd never heard of before. Being an assassin is often a game of waiting," I flipped my blade with my other hand offering him the handle. "You wait for your target to be at his most vulnerable. Wait until he thinks he's safe and then," as he reached for the handle, I quickly flipped it again placing the dull edge against his chin, "you strike."

"Please put away the knife."

"Sorry," I giggled, tucking it back into its sheathe. "My point is, I was there for a while. While I was waiting, an opportunity presented itself. A high ranking Demacian General who fell before my path before I did. Now, my orders were only for the Lieutenant, but I was a bright-eyed young girl who wanted nothing more than daddy's approval. It was silly, I know. So, I struck. I killed the General and went home proud of my victory. When I presented his insignia to my father, instead of the praise I'd hoped for, he was furious."

"Why?"

"Come to find out, that Lieutenant that was my target found the General's corpse. The two of them were very close, practically brothers. The Lieutenant went and led an ambush on a squad of Soldiers. Turns out, he had a reputation in Demacia of being a master strategist." Even now I could still remember my father's stern expression as he berated my mistake. I remembered every detail, even though it was so long ago. "That was my first mission," I explained. "I messed it up. So, I decided I'd return and I'd set things right. I went to the Lieutenant's camp, and I swore that I wouldn't leave it until he was dead."

I could tell that Kal was hanging on to every word, his hand tightening on mine. Brushing the hair from my face, I showed him my scar. Wordlessly, he reached up, running his finger over it gently, an action which caused me to shudder.

"The camp was heavily guarded at that point. Being stealthy wasn't an option any more so I drew my blades and went to work. I killed every guard I could until at last, it was only me and my target. He was fast, we both were. In the end, it all came down to a split second. We'd both thrown a dagger. The only difference was, he blinked. I barely managed to dodge his attack before mine went all the way to the hilt in his skull." I nuzzled against his palm, holding it to my cheek before realizing the awkwardness of my action. Tugging away from his touch, I smiled sheepishly. "And that's how I got my scar."

"Why did you tell me that story?"

"I made a mistake," I replied. "When I met Magnus, I made another one. But every mistake I made is my own. It's not about who you are or where you're from that guides your actions, Kal. It's up to you. Being 'Noxian' isn't about killing and suffering and doing everything at the cost of morality...in truth, it's about being who you want to be, no matter what everyone else wants from you."

He lowered his eyes again, pulling his hand from mine. As he went to rise, I quickly stood up beside him. "Kat, I…"

"Kal. If you're a summoner, you guide me, understand? The choices you make are the one's I act out. You make the commands. You decide the sort of people we should be. But if you don't and you force me to make you my Champion, then it becomes up to me. I know you're scared...I'm scared too. I rely on you Kal, to be my compass. If we switch roles, I'm scared there's nothing that will keep me on track anymore and at that point you'll be helpless to stop it."

"I still don't think it's a good idea."

I took his hands in mine, holding them tightly to my chest as I gave him the best puppy-dog eyes I could muster. I had no doubt that this would fail miserably, but I had to try something. If Ahri could do it, maybe I could try too. "Please? Promise me you'll at least consider it for a day or two."

Like that, his hesitation crumbled beneath him. "I promise." As I released him, he turned and quickly walked down the hallway, leaving me all alone. I couldn't feel more proud of myself, until another icy chill speared through me. I'd need to talk to Talon to see if there was a draft or something.

* * *

As I hammered on the ethereal wall, I was surprised when he came rushing back. What was he doing? Did he hear me crying for help. "I can't believe I nearly forgot these," he grumbled, walking to my tombstone and lifting up the two gold rings that rested there. As he went to leave again, I suddenly felt something pushing me at my back.

Fear rushed through me. Was I going to be crushed between the two walls? Surprisingly, the answer was no. The first wall had vanished from existence, allowing me to slowly and cautiously step down the hill after the enigmatic 'Kal'. I say 'step', but truthfully, the way I moved was...different. I didn't float or fly I just...ceased to be one place and was another.

I watched as he visited many, many bars in Ionia. He must have really cared about me if it was hurting him this badly. It made me feel even worse that I couldn't talk to him. I had no idea how I felt about him, or who he was to me. On top of that, it hurt even more to know that he was the only one who came to visit my grave other than the blonde. "Hey stranger," a voice called behind him. A woman with white hair pulled up into a ponytail sat beside him before raising two fingers to call for a double.

"Where were you?" Kal asked accusingly. "You should have been there."

"You know I would have if I could have," she sighed, sipping from her drink. "Yi's training is getting more intense by the day. He's got this other pupil who's a real piece of shit."

"Training is more important to you than your best friend's funeral?" His tone was not one of amusement. "You should have been there," he repeated.

"Don't be like that, Kal. You know I cared about her, too. Ahri would understand."

"No, I don't," I protested, though I knew they couldn't hear me.

"Maybe so, but I'm not Ahri. She loved you Riven. You were like a sister to her." He took a large swig of his drink before shooting her a glare. "If you care more about being stronger than the death of your friend, you're more Noxian than I realized."

Riven just ignored him, downing her drink in one gulp before slamming it down on the counter and turning to face him. "Where do you get off, huh? You don't get to take that fucking tone with me. You could have brought me along to help you, but instead of a seasoned warrior you bring what? A psycho, a holy man, a slut, and some ten year old kid? Fuck you, Kal." She ordered another drink before downing it.

"That's what this is about?" he seethed. "You're pissed because you weren't in the damned fight? Don't you think I had more worries on my mind than whether or not you would be butt hurt over something so stupid?"

"If you'd picked me," Riven countered, "Ahri would still be alive. You don't get to leave me out and then yell at me for not being there."

My eyes went back and forth between the two, trying to find words. Something inside of me hated that they were arguing like this. I wanted to stop them, but I felt so helpless and I hated that I was the reason they were fighting. "Both of you are wrong! Don't you get it? This isn't about either of you! Are you both really so selfish?!"

"Fuck it, I'm leaving," Kal grumbled putting some money on the bar. "I'll go get a drink in Noxus. At least the friends I have there have some semblance of loyalty."

"Fuck you, asshole," Riven called after him, flipping him the bird and taking another drink. Kal turned back enraged, drawing his blade. Oh Gods, he was going to kill her!

"Kal, no!" I cried, standing in front of him, but he easily just passed right through me, storming up to the drinking warrior. Slamming the blade tip down, I closed my eyes, only to open them to see that he'd stuck the weapon into the ground beside her.

"Keep it," he growled. "I don't want a weapon made by a damned traitor anyway." Turning away from her, Riven said nothing, nursing her drink alone as he walked drunkenly back to the train. I, of course, followed him, being given no choice.

Sitting across from him on the train, I stared deep into his icy blue eyes as he continued to drink from a bottle of wine he'd purchased at the depot. "I can't believe this is happening," I told him. "I...I can't remember hardly anything. I remember you...barely. Inside my heart...or what was once my heart...I can feel something for you. I just wish I could talk to you."

* * *

The young summoner bounded behind me like a puppy, trying to keep up with his first champion as I rushed through the halls of the Institute. "Kat, wait up!" he pleaded, trying to keep pace. As I turned a corner, I quickly hid in the shadows, letting him run past me. Just as he got there, I grasped him from behind, putting my knife against his back.

"You're dead," I taunted in his ear. "Lesson one, kid: keep your senses sharp. You should constantly know everything around you at all times. When you're summoning, you get a good overhead view of the terrain, but you won't know the enemy is coming unless you know what to look for."

"But...won't there be wards and stuff that we can place?" he yelped, as I pressed the knife against his spine, poking a hole in the back of his robes. "Please take the knife away."

I ignored his second statement, electing to answer his question instead. "Sure you can place a ward kid, but let me ask you something: what happens if for some reason the wards malfunction? What if the enemy finds them and destroys them. Then what do you do?"

"We...place another ward?"

"Don't be stupid, kid. You need to know how to work without them. I'll show you. Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Do it."

"Okay, okay," he agreed shutting his eyes tightly. "Now what?"

"How many lights are there in this hallway?" I demanded.

He seemed absolutely at a loss. "How could I possibly know that?"

"Think. What do you remember? What is different? How can you tell the difference between the different sources?"

He was silent for a moment before in a shaky voice answering: "Th-thirteen?"

"Thirty-seven," I corrected. "One of the other fourteen was an enemy champion. Now we're dead."

His back arched, still trying to squirm away from my blade. "But...won't you be able to see them coming? You could warn me and…"

"Oh, so it's my job to tell you what to do?" I interrupted with a scoff. "You're the summoner kid. You're the one who is supposed to be watching out for me, understand?"

"But that's impossible. I can't just know how many lights there are with my eyes closed."

"Hardly. Even with your eyes closed, some light gets through. You just move your head slowly and count the gaps between dark and light. That's survival 101. This is why they shouldn't make kids summoners. Any self-respecting adult knows this shit." Releasing him, I gave him a shove, sending him stumbling forward before turning on me with an expression of hurt. "What? You don't agree? So tell me, kid. Why do you think you're so special that you deserve to be a summoner?"

After a brief silence, his voice returned, very soft. "Because I'm the only one who survived."

"Survived? Survived what?"

He seemed to hesitate for a moment. Someone had apparently instructed him to keep his mouth shut, so I reminded him again about trust. "Well," he began to blabber, "when I was first recruited there were thirty candidates. We were all young and different ages. Some were older than me, others were younger. But...they all died."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. "How?"

"Summoning magic is different than normal magic," he murmured, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Just spit it out would you?"

"They burned up, okay?" He sniffled as tears began to form in his eyes. Great, another series of waterworks. "We use our auras for magic. They used theirs up too quickly and they all combusted. All of them except for me." Maybe there was something to this kid after all, not that I'd tell him that.

"Congrats, you now know lesson two: survival of the fittest. The strong live, the weak die. Now you're living like a true Noxian." He visibly sank, but kept his mouth shut like a good boy. I still couldn't believe the League likened me to this sniveling piece of garbage. At that point, I was looking for any reason to jab my blade into his throat. "I tell you what kid. I like you, so I'm going to give you a bit more advice. Hesitation is the enemy. If you pause for even a second to deliberate, you're a sitting duck. The longer it takes you to get over it, the longer you're going to be vulnerable to the enemy. Don't think for a second that they won't use it against you either. This is a brutal game you're in now, kid. In the League, no one gives a damn about anything but themselves. You need to be the same way if you want to cut it."

"Th-thank you."

"Don't thank me, kid. I'm still not sure you have what it takes. Come on, I'm going to introduce you to some of the other champions. Whatever you do, don't look Swain in the eye. He's like a rabid dog. Avoid eye contact and I'm sure he won't kill you...maybe." As I turned to leave, a smirk crossed my face as I could hear the shallow breathing of the young Ionian.

* * *

That night, I could hear a clattering in the kitchen that caused me to reflexively reach for the dagger I kept under my pillow. Nothing came after it for some time, until another crash confirmed my thoughts. Someone was in my house and they were not being quiet about it. If Annie was hungry, she'd have come to me. Cass had gotten better at maneuvering through the house after a while and Talon...well, he was Talon. Which left only one other person, if not an intruder.

I pushed open the door of my room, gripping the knife tightly. I'm sure I must have looked ridiculous, crouched low to the ground with a lethal weapon while in little more than a silk teddy and a pair of panties. Had someone shown me a picture of this moment, I'd probably have laughed, but right now I was deadly serious.

As I began to creep down the stairs, I could still hear the rustling of movement in the kitchen. "Your friend is raiding our liquor cabinet," a voice whispered behind me causing me to jump. Angrily, I wheeled about on Talon with a hiss.

"What in the Hells is the matter with you?! Were you trying to scare me to death?!" Lowering my weapon, I placed my other hand to my chest to try to still my heart beat, my glare never leaving his. "You know, we're not in the field. You don't have to be stealthy _all_ _the time_."

He just chuckled, taking the knife from my grip and nodding towards the kitchen. "I'll return this. I imagine you have words for him. I'm not good at the whole...talking thing." With that he was gone, leaving me standing on the staircase still trying to calm myself down.

Shaking the concern from my head, only to replace it with another, I managed to reach the base of the stairs, turning into the kitchen to see Kal, a bottle of whisky upturned in his lips and an empty one beside him. Gods, he was going to kill himself from drinking so much! Snatching the bottle from him, he let out a cry of protest before I pulled out a chair beside him and set the bottle out of his reach. "Kal, this has to stop," I stated finally. "I know you're upset, but this is not the answer."

"Shut up and give me back the bottle," he protested, reaching for it, but I pulled it further away from him. "Give it," he whined.

"You've had enough. I'm cutting you off, Kal. You are _literally_ going to kill yourself, understand? In this house, we talk about our problems, we don't drink them away. Are you listening to me?!" His head bobbed up and down, but his gaze was affixed to the sloshing liquid in my hand.

Rolling my eyes, I smashed it against the table, causing all of the booze to spill along the tile. I'd clean it up later, but I needed to get him focused. "Why would you do that?" he whimpered.

"Because, you don't need it, Kal. I swear to you, I'll pour every drop down the drain and make you watch unless you tell me what's wrong. Is it this whole Noxus thing? Is it Ahri? I can't help you until you tell me."

"What's wrong with Ahri?" he s that you're saying those things. . "She's sitting right there behind you. Hi, honey."

I grasped him tightly, pulling him to look me in the eyes. "Damn it, Kal! Ahri...is...dead." I enunciated every word. "Don't you get it?! She's gone! She's not coming back. I know that hurts, Kal. I lost a father, remember? But getting sloshed and pretending she's not won't bring her back to you. I'm not saying to not mourn her loss. You can be sad and you can miss her, too. However, you have to stop acting like this, before someone gets hurt." A chill ran through my body, causing my nipples to harden beneath my top, leaving me to realize that I wasn't wearing a bra and shyly covering myself. I hadn't even thought about that.

"Now you've done it," Kal slurred weakly. "She's really pissed at you now Kat. You should apologize to her. I don't think she likes you saying those things. Maybe we can all share a drink over it." I'd had it, now. Grasping him by the collar, I lifted him to his feet and put him in a lock before dragging him away from the kitchen. "Where are we going?"

"To sober you up!" I snapped. "I will not let you use the memory of Ahri as an excuse to kill yourself like a damned fool." Kal began to struggle to escape and just as he was about to nearly squirm out of my grip, Talon appeared beside us and with a clap like thunder, slapped him hard across the face, enough to knock him off his feet. "Talon!"

"You wanted to sober him up," he shrugged. "This is the best way to do it."

"No," I argued, "that's the worst way to do it! For all I know you just knocked him unconscious!"

"Ugh...my head," Kal groaned on the floor, moving to sit up. "What the Hells, Talon?"

"She told me to," he replied, pointing at me.

"I did not! I said _I_ was sobering him up. Not 'Talon, beat the shit out of my summoner'."

"It worked, didn't it? Now he's sober."

I looked at Kal as he started to get to his feet. He did seem a lot more steadfast now. "Kal? How are you feeling?"

"Like I just got slapped in the face," he muttered blithely.

"He's fine. Thanks Talon. How did you know that would work anyway?"

"I saw it on FolkloreBreakers," he answered, turning away from us. "I'm going back to bed. I leave it to you, Lady Du Couteau."

As he vanished from sight, Kal rubbed his jaw tenderly. "Remind me to pay him back for that one. Anyway, I should get to bed, too."

"Oh no you don't!" I protested, wrapping my arm around his tightly, dragging him with me towards the kitchen. "You're going to help me clean up that mess, then we're going to sit down and have a very long discussion."

"Kat, you're not my mother and it was _your_ mess."

"Because of _you_."

Despite his arguments, the two of us got to work cleaning up the shards of broken glass and wiping up the spilled whiskey from the tile. The entire time we cleaned, Kal remained completely silent. It made me uneasy, but I was willing to give him at least this rest before we really got into the storm.

As he reluctantly dumped the last of the garbage into the bin, he stood and went to leave again. "Nice try," I called, causing him to freeze and sigh. Pointing to the chair, I gave a stern, "Sit."

Doing as he was told, I followed suit, now in the same spots we had been. "What do you want Kat?"

"Must you be so hard headed, Kal?" I sighed, running my hand through my hair. "You need to take better care of yourself."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine. You're getting super drunk then you're spouting nonsense about seeing Ahri, and then you're insisting that you're ready for work when it's very obvious you're not! "

"I'm fine," he insisted again, but I could see in his eyes he seriously doubted his own words at this point. "Listen Kat, it's not nonsense, okay? When I'm drunk, I can see her. Can't you at least let me have that? I miss her Kat. I need to see her! I need to hear her voice. I love her so much, I can't just let her fade away." His hands tightened on his pants leg as he lowered his head. "I know you don't understand, but I can't let her go. If I let her go, I'm no better than Magnus or Riven or Lux or anyone else! She died, and everyone just moved on like nothing happened. I can't be like that, I refuse to be like that."

Reaching out, I took his hand in mine, squeezing it reassuringly with a soft smile. "Kal, I can promise you that no one has moved on. Not you, not me, not Annie, not Lux, not Riven, not anyone. Come the day after tomorrow we're going to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again, understand? I'm not asking you to pretend she never existed. I'm asking for you to control your life so that her death can mean something."

"But it didn't mean anything!" he suddenly shouted, slamming his fist on the table, his hand gripping mine painfully. "There was no reason for Magnus to kill her, but he did it anyway just to spite me." His grip tightened even further as he began to growl. "He took away my happiness and now he's just sitting in a cozy cell while Ahri is rotting six feet under!"

"Kal, you're hurting me!" I hissed, trying to pull my hand away. Realizing what he was doing, he let me go, causing me to wince.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'll get you some ice." When he returned with the ice pack, I gently nursed my hand. He still looked incredibly guilty about the whole thing, so I gently rested my other hand on his knee.

"Kal, I'm only telling you these things because I care about you. You know that, right?" He looked at me with those sad blue eyes of his, and I could see he doubted my words. I stroked his leg affectionately, trying to give him a smile. "You and I, we're going to march straight to that Council and we're going to demand justice, understand? Magnus will not get away with what he's done."

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"What if Magnus fingers you as one of his accomplices? Obviously, I'd stick up for you, but...what if they lock you away or strip you of being a champion?"

I thought about it for a moment before grinning. "Well, then you can always sneak me stuff during conjugal visits," I teased with a wink, causing him to chuckle. It was the first time I'd seen him smile since Ahri died. "Hey," I whispered, taking his hand in mine, "we're partners now. That means I won't abandon you, no matter what."

"I believe you," he quietly replied. "Now will you please put on some clothes? You're this super awkward."

I turned a bright red as I realized that I was still in my underwear before smacking him upside the head and covering myself again. "Gods, Kal. Please don't tell me you're seriously a pervert when you're drunk. You're already a handful as it is."

He just shrugged his shoulders and stood with a yawn. I did the same, tossing away the ice pack and wrapping one of his arms around my shoulder. He pressed himself against me as I helped him to climb the stairs before I finally got him into bed.

"Now, if you need anything, come and get me, okay? I don't care what time it is or what you need, but come talk to me first."

He nodded his head with another yawn. "Thanks, Kat. I hope you sleep well."

Pausing at the entrance to his room, I flipped the lights off. "You too. Sweet dreams, Kal. I'll see you in the morning."

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 4

 **AN: So I'm really enjoying writing this fanfiction. It's always nice to kind of play around with older characters to see how they'd change in the face of trauma. I had to do a lot of research for this chapter, so don't say I've never done anything for you guys. :P I hope you enjoy, please feel free to review, favorite, or follow. If I haven't replied to your reviews, I'm sorry. The website is currently bugged and who knows how long it will take to fix it. Thanks again for all of your support. -Kiba**

As I opened the door to the chamber, the rowdy noises came to a slow as the heads of many of the League's champions all swiveled to regard me and the new blood at my side. I swept past most of the other factions, Kal trailing along behind me and looking around in awe at what to him must have felt like celebrities.

It was a shame he didn't realize that the looks they were giving him were all ones of scorn and irritation. Demacians didn't like that he was with a Noxian, Ionians didn't like he was with a Noxian, Piltoverians...well the idea isn't difficult to grasp. When, finally, we reached Noxus' designated area, I grinned brightly at my comrades. "Hey everyone," I called, moving to sit beside Darius.

"Kat," Draven smirked, "where the hell have you been? We all thought the Council was giving you a royal reaming."

Darius, far more stoic than his brother nodded in agreement. "Indeed. It seems the only thing you got out of it was a small pest," his eyes focused on Kal fiercely as the kid just stood there, unsure of what to do or say.

Morgana, ever the flirt leaned closer some with a wry smile. "Hey there, cutie. Are you lost? Got separated from the school field trip, did we?" She gave him a sultry wink. "That's alright, we won't say a word. We like ourselves a rebel here."

"Guys, kid. Kid, guys," I introduced lazily, before the tapping of a cane caused us all to cease talking. All eyes turned their attention from Kal to the High General as he stood up, offering his hand politely to him.

"Apologies for my compatriots disrespect," he said. "I am High General Jericho Swain, at your service, Summoner."

"No way!" Draven cried, examining him more closely. "This puny brat is a Summoner? Since when did they start pulling mages out of daycare centers?"

"Hold your tongue, Draven," Swain commanded coldly, "or else, I will feed it to the crows." His threatening tone was not an empty one, and so the executioner leaned back in his seat and folded his arms over his chest with an impatient 'hmmph'. "Anyway, I have given you my name Summoner. Would you be so kind as to offer your own?"

The kid swallowed nervously, his hand reaching out to grasp his. Despite the fear in the kid's eyes, his grip was a tight one, causing Swain to smile beneath his mask. "My name is Kal'adamsul Midori-hi. But just Kal is fine."

"Very well, Kal. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. The Council has already informed me that you are being paired with Lady Du Couteau, is that not correct?"

"Lady?" he asked in surprise, looking at me in confusion. "You're a noble?"

"In name only, kid," I quickly shot back. "But he asked you a question. Don't be a brat."

"Oh, sorry. Yes sir, that's correct."

Swain nodded in his head, as if affirming to himself that he had been right all along. "Well, she is a wonderful choice for a first Summon, I must say. I cannot think of another whom I'd offer to you that could mentor you as well in the ways of the League as she."

"Thank you sir, I appreciate that," I interjected. "But the Council is the one who assigned me to him. In fact, he was just saying the most interesting thing about Noxus not even an hour ago."

Kal froze, his hand now slowly trailing from the High General's to his side looking like a deer between head lights. "Oh? Do tell?" Swain asked, his eyes narrowing on the young person.

The kid just stood there, almost petrified as the Noxian military all seemed to rise around him. I simply smirked flipping my knife. "I...I said…" he stammered, trying to find a way to spit it out. Just as I thought he was about to break, he paused and took a breath. "I feel like the way that Noxus handled the Ionian invasion was cruel and unfair. It's one thing to fight against our military, it's another thing entirely to use an unliving army of machines to kill every man, woman, and child in sight. To be frank, you should be ashamed of yourselves." Everyone was stunned speechless as the knife clattered from my fingers to the ground.

Grabbing him I roughly tugged him so his face was just inches from mine. "Are you out of your damned mind?" I hissed. "Do you want to be killed?" That was when that kid smirked at me.

In his eyes I saw a cunning I hadn't noticed there before. "In the Institute, a champion may not harm a summoner," he replied, quoting one of the many rules. "Any attempt to do so results in a painful electric shock that will render the champion unable to strike."

"You've got guts, kid," I finally sighed.

Swain tapped his cane upon the ground thoughtfully. "I'm afraid, young Summoner, that even if we did feel remorse for our actions in the war, it does not change what has already happened. Ionia will be ours, though I look forward to facing you and whomever your champion may be at that time."

Even I doubted the sincerity of those words, but still I nodded in agreement. Standing from the table, I picked up my knife before tugging on the back of the kid's jacket to pull him behind me. "You heard him, kid. Water under the bridge."

As the others all waved their farewells, Draven looked to the rest of the group. "What do you think she has planned? I wish I could watch. For a moment there, I thought he was gonna piss himself." He laughed until Darius elbowed him in the side to silence him.

"That kid had some balls," he commented, watching as the two of them left. "He's either stupid, brave, or both."

"My money is on the first," Morgana yawned. "That kid is going to wish he hadn't crossed her. To be honest, if I was her, I'd tease him until his tiny pubescent mind melts out of his ears."

"We all know that," Draven cackled before Morgana slapped him upside the head.

"Even still," Swain commented, causing the rest of them to fall silent, "he is not to be touched." Looking to Morgana, he added, "Good or bad. I think Noxus will have use for him."

"We're seriously letting him get away with mouthing off like that?!" Draven protested. "What in the Hells, Jericho?"

There was a resounding thud as Swain's cane came down on Draven's arm, pinning it to the table just as he was lifting his drink to his mouth. "You will address me as either 'sir' or 'High General', Draven." To accent his lecture, his raven, Beatrice, hopped down to the executioner's arm, glaring up at him with her six eyes. As her talons dug into his flesh, black tendrils began to spread, causing him to grit his teeth in agony. As his flesh began to decay before his eyes, he had to resist all urges to cry out, until at last, Swain removed his cane and whistled for Beatrice to return to her perch.

Draven grasped his arm, watching as the flesh slowly lost its necrotic appearance. "Yes, sir," he mumbled under his breath, nursing his painful injury.

"If not that I need you for the League, I'd have broken your arm. Do not forget this lesson." With that, Swain slipped past the three, leaving them to look at one another in intimidated silence.

As soon as Kal and I had rounded the corner, I pinned him against the wall glaring him in the eye. "Let's get one thing straight here, kid. When you're in the presence of your betters, you keep your mouth shut. You don't speak unless spoken to, and you sure as shit don't mouth off to them the way you just did. You're lucky because Swain let it go, but otherwise, you'd be a dead man walking, do I make myself clear?"

He just smirked at me again. This little shit-eating grin of his was about to get wiped off bloodily. "A champion can't hurt a …"

"In the Institute," I interrupted. "You forgot that tiny little detail, didn't you? You can't stay here forever, kid. Some day, you're going to have to walk out those doors, and as the point stands, you're lucky that you don't have a target on your back."

It was obvious from his stupefied expression that the realization hadn't even occurred to him. Thanks to that little oversight on his part, now he was even further indebted to me. He just kept making my job easier and easier.

* * *

The next morning, I awoke to the smell of fresh brewed coffee. I blinked in confusion, rolling over to see that it was still early: around seven in the morning. Not even Talon was up this early. Curious as to who could be using my kitchen at this time of day, I cracked open my door and came downstairs.

Rounding the corner into the kitchen, I had to cover my mouth to stifle a laugh. Standing in an apron over a frying pan, in which a few slabs of bacon were hissing, was Kal, his normally long hair tied up in a ponytail and covered by a bandana. He looked almost like a maid. "What in Gods' names are you wearing?" I giggled, causing him to turn in surprise.

"Oh! Good morning, Kat," he greeted as I came closer. "I felt bad for last night...so I thought I'd make breakfast for you."

"Well, it smells wonderful," I admitted, leaning against the counter and watching him work. "So does this mean you've changed your mind?"

"No," he answered, causing my heart to sink. "But I did promise that I'd think about it, right? The way I see it we still have a day before I have to make a decision." Flipping the bacon, he reached for a nearby carton. "How would you like your eggs?"

"Scrambled like your brain," I teased. "Thank you, for at least considering it. I know that this isn't easy for you and I wish you'd take a bit more time to mourn and relax in peace. But, I know you, and I know that you're not the 'sit still' kind of guy."

With a well-timed 'crack', Kal broke the eggs into the skillet, agitating the yolks with the whites just as it began to sizzle. Lowering the heat, he turned to face me, wiping his hands on the apron. "To be honest, I wouldn't mind a longer break, but it's not about whether I'm ready for work or not. This is about Magnus and making sure he gets what he deserves. Despite what they preach, the League is a heartless organization. They won't wait for me to recover before charging him. I need to be ready."

Black smoke began to rise from the bacon, but I quickly moved to his side, taking the frying pan from the heat to place the food onto a plate. I had to admit, it was nice being in the kitchen for once. "I know what you mean. If we wait too long, the greater the odds are they will just pretend this whole thing never happened and we can't have that. Even still, _after_ the trial, I think you need to take some time away from the world. Stay in our library, read some books, distract yourself from the world. It's good to get away every now and then."

"Yes, because that's what you do," he retorted sarcastically.

"Do as I say, not as I do," I shot back flashing him a warm smile. "I'm not a good example to follow Kal, you should know that by now." He didn't say anything in reply, but even still, he _was_ smiling, and that was definitely a victory. It felt like everything was starting to settle down again, finally. These last few days had been crucial, and for a while, I feared that I was losing Kal. "You know," I finally suggested, "maybe it'd be good for the two of us to get out of the house. What if we did something fun for a change? We could bring Annie, Cass, and Talon if you wanted, or it could be just us, but we should do something."

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, applying a motley of seasonings to the eggs as they cooked.

"I think the Fleshing is happening today," I replied. He turned towards me with a quizzical look. "Just kidding," I chuckled nervously. Ugh, being good was hard to do. A lot of the things in Noxus didn't have much in the way of moral entertainment. "We could go to a club. Do some dancing. Maybe some _light_ drinking." I enunciated the 'light' heavily and Kal nodded to gesture that he understood.

"You know what? That doesn't sound too bad, actually. Let's go later this afternoon. We can get back at a reasonable time and turn in early so we have more energy tomorrow. What do you think?"

"Perfect. So...four o'clock?"

"Sure."

I beamed, excited for the opportunity to get Kal out of the house. Taking my breakfast the two of us ate in relative silence, but the mood had once again shifted in the manor. Things certainly felt more at ease, anyway.

Later that day, I went to Cass' room before knocking politely on the door. It swung open, and I smiled to see her looking at her picture of Brett that she kept on her vanity. "Oh, hi Kat. Sorry...I know you don't approve."

"It's okay, Cass. So long as you're not screwing him, I don't care," I paused before adding, "That didn't come out right. But that's not why I'm here, I need your help."

"My help? Did Kal hurt himself?"

"No! No, nothing like that," I quickly assured her, causing her to visibly relax. For a moment, I just stood there awkwardly, shifting from one foot to another.

"Well? What do you need my help with?"

I timidly bit my lip, nudging the ground with my foot. "I...need you to help me with my makeup."

Cass' eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Could you repeat that?"

"I need your help with my makeup," I repeated through gritted teeth, my cheeks already starting to flush in embarrassment.

My younger sister covered her mouth as she began to giggle uncontrollably. "Oh my goodness, this is hilarious! I thought you knew how to put on makeup. You wear eyeliner during League matches."

"It's grease paint to protect my eyes from the glare," I protested, frowning. "Cass, please? I'm new to this whole...girly thing. This is the first time I'm able to get Kal out of the house and he's starting to finally put himself back together."

"Ohhhhh," she replied with a even bigger grin. "So you're doing this for Kal? You totally have a thing for him!"

"I do not," I quickly snapped, my eyes becoming stormy.

"You totally do!"

"Cass...stop, now." My tone immediately made her fall silent. "His wife just died Cass. Her body isn't even cold. You can't make jokes like that, understand? Even if I did have feelings for him, this is not the time to tell him so. Understand?"

She nodded. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I wasn't thinking."

"No, you weren't," I agreed. "But let's just be grateful he didn't hear us. Consider it water under the bridge, Cass. Will you help me?"

The sullen expression brightened again. "But of course! You came to the right person, dear sister." She patted the small chair in front of the vanity, slithering into her personal bathroom in order to retrieve her makeup kit. It had been a while since it'd last seen use, but she swore it'd still be good. "First," she instructed, "we need to apply the foundation primer. I'm not sure how long you intend to be out, but it's always good to have because it smoothes out the pores and makes it look nicer. Now then, for your skin tone…" she began rummaging through the box, going through multiple vials. "No...no...no...maybe...no...ah this will work." Pulling out a small bottle of a beige gel, she took my hand and put a small amount of it in there.

"So…?"

"Just apply that to your face. Everywhere." I nodded and began rubbing it in before she quickly grabbed my wrist and stopped me. "No! It's not sunscreen Kat, Gods. Be gentle with it. Make sure it's spread nice and evenly." I frowned, redoing it as she instructed me. Soon, my face had a youthful sheen to it. You couldn't even see the tiredness of having to take over Kal in my eyes.

"Wow."

Cass just smiled, grabbing a wide brush and a small round tin. "Hold on. You don't want your face looking like it's made of plastic," she teased, dipping the brush into the tin before dabbing it on my face. I quickly jerked away from her, coughing in surprise as the powder that erupted from the small thing. "Oh just relax, Kat. It's a face powder. It sets the foundation."

"So this is what completes it?"

Cass let out another laugh. "Oh, honey...no. This is barely the beginning." I let out an irritated groan. "I know," she empathized, "but this is how it is. Guys never appreciate the effort that we put into making ourselves look nice. Now, we're going to apply a bit of rouge to your cheeks to give them some color."

She hummed to herself as she dipped a small brush into a different box of powder, applying it to my cheeks. As she promised, they gave me a much more lively appearance. I spent much of my time in the dark, as all assassins should, so my skin was rather pale.

"You've been doing all of this since we were ten?" I asked skeptically.

"Since before. When you and Dad were off training, Mom and I would…" her words trailed off before she cleared her throat. "Anyway, yes. I've been doing this for a long time. Now, your lips are already pretty toned, so we're just going to apply gloss instead of lipstick. Now pout your lips like you're kissing someone." When I didn't move, she looked at me in surprise. "Really? Never?"

"Shut up," I sighed, pushing my lips slightly forward. "Like this?"

"Perfect," she said. Taking the small brush she applied it carefully to my skin, making it appear more brightly in the light. I was grateful she did not continue her line of questioning. Assassins didn't have time for romance, and it was honestly better that way. Having a target for someone else to use against you was a mistake that could cost your life. "There, done." I went to stand, but she quickly snagged my arm sitting me back down. "With the lip gloss," she lectured. "Next we're going to put on some eyeliner. You know how this works right?"

"Is it like grease paint?"

"No."

"Then no."

With a tsk of disappointment, Cass took out a variety of small colored pencils and held them up to compare them to my skin. "I think a darker color would make your eyes pop, but we don't want black…"

"Why not?"

"You'd look like a raccoon. We want Kal to take an interest in you, not an animal, right?" I gave her a glare to urge her to drop it. She held up a hand in surrender before selecting a darker violet color. "We're picking purple," she explained, "because it is a contrast color to green. This means when you're wearing it, your eyes will seem brighter and more vivid."

"You're the expert," I sighed, closing my eyes tightly.

"Relax your eyes Kat."

"I just really don't want to be poked in the eye with a pencil," I explained, but I still did as she asked. It was so odd, feeling the dyed kohl rubbing off on my skin. They made my eyelids feel almost a little heavier, but even still once she had finished, I found that she was right. My eyes sparkled like emeralds, and I began to wonder if maybe Kal wore eye liner the way his eyes shimmered. I chuckled at the thought. If he did wear eyeliner with his eyes, they'd probably be so bright that they glowed. "Now are we finished?"

"Still, no. Next comes mascara."

"We already put on eye liner."

"Just stop talking Kat, you're embarrassing yourself," she teased. Removing a small tube from the kit, she unscrewed the lid and pulled out a thin wiry brush. "Mascara," she explained, "is for your eye lashes, not your eyelids. They make them look thicker and longer. Now the key is to not go too overboard. We don't want it to look like you've never trimmed your eyelashes."

"I haven't ever trimmed my eyelashes."

"That was a joke, sweetie. You don't actually trim those. Close." I obeyed, my eyes falling shut again while she brushed out my lashes. "There."

"Now?" I whined.

"Nope, one last thing," she pulled out a bright pink glass vial and I quickly jerked away from her.

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Oh come on Kat, they'll look great!"

"No, I need my fingernails normal colored and able to claw my way out of trouble without having to worry about messing up some paint job," I protested, but she just grabbed my hand.

"Don't be such a baby."

"No, Cass! I don't want it."

"Do you want to impress him or not?"

"I do, but…"

"A-ha! I knew it!" she exclaimed, releasing my hand. My eyes shot daggers at her as she grinned triumphantly. "You do have a thing for Kal! It makes so much sense! Is that why you want him to move on so quickly?"

"Of course, not!" I snapped, my wrath building. "Before anything else, he is my friend Cass and I refuse to let my friend suffer alone in agony like all of the rest of the world has!"

"Kat, calm down."

"No, you calm down!"

She placed her hand gently on mine. "Kat," she stated plainly. "I'm not going to tell anyone, okay? Your secret is safe with me. Besides, I know you wouldn't do something like that. You're better than that now." My chest rose and fell. I was still frustrated from her annoying insistence, but her words did provide a small level of comfort. "We'll skip the nail polish, but at least let me buff them."

"Fine," I grumbled as she began rubbing the rubber buffer across the keratinous nails. Soon, she'd finished with them completely. I sat there, looking at her expectantly as she packed everything up.

"Done," she grinned. "For real this time. What do you think?"

Looking in the mirror, I was hardly able to recognize the reflection staring back. It looked just like me, but at the same time, the woman in the glass was absolutely breath-taking. "Wow," I whispered again, unable to find words to describe my amazement.

"Oh, there is one last thing," Cass realized.

"What?"

"Your wardrobe."

"What do you mean?"

"Kat, you're not going to wear leather armor to a club. I absolutely forbid it. You need something more casual. You're going on a date, not to a war."

"It's not a date."

"Outing. Whatever. The point still stands. Come on, I think I have some clothes you can borrow."

"From when you were ten?"

She scoffed. "I will have you know that I was both taller and more developed at ten than you were at eighteen. Don't even." She snapped her fingers, before pushing me towards her closet. Pulling open the doors, she began rummaging through shirts and pants, trying to find something before she finally had selected a black cotton tank top and a pair of denim jeans. "There. That should work. Shows off a bit of cleavage, but not too much. It's plain, so you're not attracting too much attention to yourself. He should remain completely oblivious."

I crossed my arms over my chest and cleared my throat. "I'm not changing my pants."

"Oh, come on!"

"No, absolutely not. My butt was made for only one material and that material is leather."

"Kat."

"No. I'm set on this Cass. Now in addition to my _leather_ pants and tank top, what else should I wear?"

"Accessories," she agreed, pulling me after her. "Stay here, I'll be right back." Leaving, she came back with a sharp pin and a lighter. Holding the pin over the flames, she smiled at me. "We have to sterilize it," she explained.

"What do you intend on doing with it?" I asked cautiously as she crept closer to me. "Cass?"

"Hold still, okay? This is going to sting a bit. I'll make it fast though."

"No Cass, wait, don't...arrgh!" A burning pain lanced through my ear as she pierced its lobe.

"Suck it up, buttercup. We have to pay the price for beauty in blood." Keeping the needle there, she grabbed an earring she'd selected before hand. They were small studs, each with a glimmering amethyst gem in their center. "Ready for number two?" she asked, moving to my other side. As the pain subsided from my first ear, I nodded, taking a deep breath. Another stabbing pain later and I now had two pierced ears.

"This feels so weird," I commented as she dabbed at the blood with a cotton ball. The hydrogen peroxide it was soaked in bubbled as she dabbed it. "Do you think he'll notice?"

"I thought you weren't concerned about him noticing, Kat," she teased. "If he doesn't notice, tell him that I'm going to claw his eyes out. Now you're going to want to leave these in for four to six weeks."

"FOUR TO SIX WEEKS?! Cass, I have a meeting with the Council tomorrow, I can't go in there with pierced ears!"

"Sure you can," she assured me. "Just use your hair to cover them. But for the club, you're going to want to show them off."

"O...kay?"

Grabbing a brush, she began to stroke my hair before pulling it back and placing a band around it to keep it tied together. Now I had a crimson pony tail that matched Kal's, with two long bangs that framed either side of my face. Cass clapped her hands as she leaned back to examine her handywork.

"How does it look?"

"You look absolutely adorable. If this doesn't cheer him up, nothing will."

I sighed. "I hope you're not right about that." Standing up, I slipped into the top that Cass had chosen for me, and straightening it, I smiled at her. "Thanks again, Cass. I really appreciate this. If you ever need me to teach you how to throw a knife or something, let me know, okay?"

The two of us embraced tightly before parting. Slipping outside, I found that Kal was already waiting for me by the door. He didn't look too different, though I noted he'd shaved his stubble away. "Hey, are you ready to…" When he turned to look at me, his eyes went so wide I thought they would pop out of their sockets.

Despite myself, I couldn't help but to smile as he just stood there in awe. "Yeah, I'm ready to go," I answered nonchalantly, pretending that nothing was different. He was completely speechless the entire ride there. Every time he'd open his mouth to say something, he would immediately fall quiet again.

I just smiled kindly at him before gazing out the window at the shifting scenery. I couldn't help but to admit to myself that I wished he would be smitten with me, but at the same time, I stood by what I told Cass. I was a friend first.

The club would be good for him. He'd enjoy himself for a night at least before going back to work the next day, then we'd start to make progress on this whole Noxus Summoner issue. It felt like things were finally looking up as we pulled into the parking lot.

As we both stepped out, the music could easily be heard inside and when I opened the door, I was absolutely stunned. This, I knew, would probably wreck Kal's heart even more than it already was.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 5

As we stepped into the club, the sudden transition from bright to dim light had me adjusting, but once it did, I immediately knew I'd made a mistake. "Hey there, welcome to The Wet Bitch," a hostess said to us. "Tonight is Femme Furry Friday, we started it just recently as a sign of respect for that poor Champion, 'Airy' who passed away. So to honor her memory, we're giving out complimentary cat ears and tails to the ladies. If you're wearing them, you get drinks half off at the bar."

Kal and I were so stunned by the sea of girls with ears and tails that we didn't even hear her words. I was frozen in a mix of shock and horror as the woman applied the accessories and as she sauntered off to find someone else, I could feel Kal's eyes locked on me. "Kat…"

"I swear to Gods, Kal, I had no idea. If I'd known, I'd never have…"

"It's fine."

I looked at him in surprise. He gave me a slight smile. "Are you sure? Kal, I think we should just go find another club. There's lots of them, I'm sure we could just walk to another…"

"Kat," he repeated a little louder, "I'm fine. It's a club, it's not a big deal. Besides, their honoring her, so really, isn't that a good thing?" I searched his eyes for some sign that he was lying, but surprisingly, he seemed completely honest. "Really," he assured me, "I'm fine."

"All right...if you're sure," I stated reluctantly, "but if it gets to be too much, tell me. Seriously, no matter what, the instant you start feeling overwhelmed, tell me and we're gone." He nodded in understanding, gesturing for us to both go to the bar. I smiled at him, taking his arm in mine and pulling him with me through the crowd until we found an open spot.

With some difficulty, I managed to clamber up on to the bar stool without knocking off the tail and turned to the bartender. "What can I get for you two lovebirds?" He asked with a grin, causing me to immediately become flushed. Great, now even strangers were shipping the two of us together.

"N-no," I insisted, "we're just friends. We'll have two Old Fashioned's please. Just go ahead and start a tab under 'Kat'."

He just chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Cat. Two Old Fashioned's coming right up." As he began to make our drinks, I took a look at Kal beside me to see him leaning against the bar, staring out over the dance floor. He certainly _looked_ as if he was doing fine. Just as the bartender was reaching for something near me, I leaned in close.

"Hey," I whispered to him softly. "Add an extra fifty on the down low to my tab. This guy next to me, he's cut off at two drinks, understand?"

His eyes went to Kal, and he nodded. "Yeah, okay. Just give me a moment and I'll put it on there."

"Thank you."

As I leaned back, Kal finally spoke up again, "You got your ears pierced," he pointed out.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Cass talked me into it. What do you think?"

"They look great on you," he replied, sending a wave of bliss over me. "I like your ponytail too. I think you're much prettier when you can actually see your face instead of letting your hair cover half of it."

Now I was certain that I was blushing, and I felt grateful for the makeup that helped to hide it. "You know Kal, I'm really proud of you."

"Why?"

"Coming out here with me. I mean, I clearly should have done a bit more research instead of just picking the closest club, but still, I'm glad you came." I shyly tucked one of my bangs behind my ear as the bartender returned with our drinks. "I know that Ahri would be proud of you, too."

He didn't say anything for a bit, and for a moment I was worried that he would immediately sink back into his shell. Stupid move, Kat. But instead, he lifted his glass to me. "To Ahri," he proposed.

I chuckled, glad to see him in good spirits. Extending my arm the two of us clinked glasses. "To Ahri."

"TO AIRY!" the entire bar shouted, having over heard us. They couldn't even bother to get her name right? And why cat ears when she was clearly a fox?

Even still, Kal just seemed to laugh off the mispronunciation. Maybe he really was moving on. As the music began to play, I grinned, standing up and pulling him with me. "Come on. I know you're not much of a dancer, but this will be great." The two of us stood on the floor with our drinks, weaving in and out of the crowd in time to the music. Every now and then we'd split up and when we'd rejoin, I'd notice that Kal had barely touched his drink.

Things were finally starting to look up. After a few hours, I excused myself to go to the bathroom, and when I'd ensured my privacy, I pulled out my phone, flipping it open and punching in the proper sequence. After a short tone, the voice of the High General came through the line. "Lady Du Couteau? This is an unexpected call. Checking up on me?"

"Not this time, sir." I shifted, the phone to my side as I began to fish around in my purse for the perfume that Cass had insisted I pack. She told me that typically at clubs, after a few hours the sweat could really hinder the night. Seeing as I'd never really bothered thinking about it in the field, I decided I'd try it out for her sake. "I am, however, calling to report good news."

"Oh? Has your Summoner finally come around?"

"Not quite just yet, but he's heading there, I think. He's doing much better now. We've been at this club for a while and…"

"Club?" Swain's voice interrupted with an amused tone. "Why, Lady Du Couteau, I'd never have figured you for the rebound type."

"I'm not!" I snapped, a little faster than I intended. "Sorry for yelling, sir. I got him out of the house to try to help him unwind. It nearly backfired big time. Thank Gods he seems a lot more stable than I originally guessed."

"You may want to take a look outside of the restroom," he replied, causing me to give a quizzical look around. "I've been watching you two for a while now, and I think you should see what your Summoner is presently doing. Peer out the door, look to the left of the stage."

Cautiously, I did as instructed. Sure enough, there was Kal, moving closer to a table of girls who were just chatting away, completely unaware of his presence. In a swift movement, he placed his half empty glass on the table and swapped it one of theirs before moving back around to the dance floor. "How long has he been doing this?" I asked, my legs suddenly feeling very weak.

Swain's voice came back with a harsher tone. "All afternoon. It seems he's a lot less stable than you anticipated, Lady Du Couteau. That's his twelfth drink. I recommend getting him home before he decides to simply stab his liver to speed up the process."

I gave a low growl before slamming my phone shut. I couldn't believe him! That son of a bitch told me he would let me know if it got to be too much! Storming up to him, he turned to see me, a lopsided grin on his face. Grabbing his wrist, I began to drag him towards the exit. "What are you doin'?" He slurred, proving Swain's statement to be true.

"I'm taking you home to sober you up, ass," I snarled.

"But I haven't finished my first drink yet," he replied, going to lift it to his lips before I swatted it out of his hands, sending it smashing to the ground. "Why would you…"

"Cut the bullshit, Kal! I know you've been drinking all night! You gave me your _word_ that you would tell me if this became too much! How long did it take you to break that promise, huh? A minute? Five? How long?!"

He held up his finger in protest. "I didn't promise anything," he replied drunkenly. "I just nodded while you talked, so that way I wasn't lying to you. Because I don't like lying to people, especially not my only friend."

I rolled my eyes. "You're such a fucking asshole," I muttered. "We're going home."

"No!" Kal argued, tugging his hand from my grip. "I'm stayin' here. You can't make me leave."

"Oh yes, I can," I hissed. Grabbing him by the collar, I gave him a swift headbutt that had him seeing stars before I began to drag his limp body out of the club. Just as I was almost out the door, the bartender came rushing up to me.

"Oh, wait! Miss, you forgot your…"

I shot him a glare that made him rethink his actions. Instead, he decided it'd be better for his well being to just take the loss. Unimpeded, I continued hauling my Summoner's dizzy corpse out into the setting sun. "Here, allow me to assist you," Swain offered, having appeared at our side.

I was close to telling him to piss off, but I figured I'd wait until after he helped me get Kal into the cab. Once he was safely buckled in, I turned on the High General with flames in my eyes. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" I demanded. "You knew the whole time and you didn't stop him? Why?!"

Swain calmly walked to the other side before opening the door for me and gesturing in with his cane. I stayed completely still, glaring at him and waiting for a response. "Katarina, I could lay out my entire scheme for you which will take hours without any special anecdotes, but somehow, I doubt that your Summoner will stay quiet for that long. Now which are you more concerned about presently?"

I took a deep breath, moving until I was right in his face. "You're a fucking ass," I hissed, sliding into the car beside Kal.

"Noted. And Katarina?"

"What?"

His eyes narrowed and a chill ran down my spine as he leaned closer. "The only reason I am excusing this great disrespect is because of your situation. Since your father's passing, you have been like a daughter to me, but do not think that I will excuse this sort of behavior in the future. You came very close to losing my trust and favor when you went with Magnus. Do not make me lose faith in you again."

"Yes, sir." My heart was pounding in my chest now as the sly gleam in his eyes returned and he straightened before giving a polite wave. Rolling up the window, the cab took off down the road, heading for the manor.

Half way there, Kal let out a groan, starting to come to again after the blow to the head. "Kat?" he whimpered, rubbing his head. "What did you do to me?" I could tell by his voice that he was still incredibly drunk. It looked like Talon's trick wouldn't work this time.

"I haven't forgiven you, Kal. Use any bullshit loophole you like, you lied to me, plain and simple. Can't you see I'm trying to help you? Doesn't that mean anything to you?" I sighed, turning away from him. "You told me you were fine, Kal. Like an idiot, I believed you. I mean, you've always been an honest guy, right? I figured you wouldn't lie to me, but I guess I was way off."

He remained quiet for a moment. "Kat?"

"What, Kal?" I asked turning to shoot him a glare. Before I could react, he pounced on me and placed his lips against mine. My eyes went wide as he kissed me, my entire being eager to accept the gift. Even still, I drew my knife and pricked his knee, causing him to withdraw with a hiss. "Kal. This is your last warning. If you do that again, I will personally ensure the greatest ass kicking of your life time."

He simply let out another whimper like a beaten dog, tenderly licking its own wounds. Part of me hated myself for having to do that, but this was good for Kal. I knew he didn't mean anything by it. Who knows why he did it, but either way it was something that was fake and ethereal. I refused to let myself fall to pieces over something like that.

When we got back, I managed to bandage his wound in silence, watching as he climbed the stairs sullenly. Annie went to hug him, but he just swaggered past her, like a lifeless husk trudging through the mud.

"Kal?" she asked in a sweet voice. "What's wrong, daddy?"

Turning back to face her, he smiled, before slowly falling towards her, his brain no longer able to co-ordinate his balance. Annie reached out to catch him in shock, but he just shoved her out of the way before collapsing to the ground.

Time slowed as Annie's small body began to fall down the large curving staircase that led to the second floor. With a thud, she hit one stair, followed by another. After the second bounce, she was in the air, and in my mind, I knew this would be her final fall. If she hit the stairs again, she would be snuffed out.

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, but in my heart, the dread came in. I wasn't fast enough. I wouldn't be able to reach her in time. Then out of the corner of my vision, a purple blur sped through the air, and soon, Talon landed smartly on one of the stairs, the young girl in his arms, a little bruised, but ultimately unharmed.

I came to a halt beside him. "Talon, thank Gods, is she alright?"

"She's fine, Lady Du Couteau. Just a few bumps is all." He set down the trembling girl before patting her head. Looking up the stairs at Kal, now struggling to get back to his hands and knees, he drew one of his blades. "He, on the other hand…"

"Talon, no!" I cried. With a flash, I'd vanished and reappeared over Kal, blocking him from my adopted brother. "He didn't do it on purpose," I panted, unsure if I'd actually be able to prevent him from tearing Kal to shreds. "I know you're upset with him, as you've every right to be. But he _loves_ Annie, understand? He adopted her. She's his daughter and he's her father. Don't kill him."

Talon froze, looking first to the drunken summoner than back to the little girl whose eyes were damp with tears as she watched the scene unfold. With a sigh, he dispelled his blades, with a nod. "Get him to his room," he urged me, "I hope you will have words with him about this incident."

"Don't worry, I will," I assured him.

Getting Kal to bed, I drew up a chair and sat beside him, waiting patiently for him to awaken. Part of me feared I was in way over my head. I couldn't handle Kal like this. He was going way too crazy. Annie could have _died_ had Talon not been there. Then...well I didn't want to think about where Kal would be after losing her too.

He stirred slightly, before rolling over to face me, though he didn't wake up. Was he dreaming? I've heard that people who were blacked out drunk were incapable of dreams. After a moment of hesitation, my hand extended shakily to brush a lock of his hair from his face. He stirred slightly, causing me to quickly withdraw my hand. "I'm sorry for sticking you earlier, Kal," I whispered, once satisfied he was still asleep. "Part of it was how you surprised me. The other part was that you were hammered. It wouldn't feel right...for multiple reasons. I told you Kal, I know how this feels. I lost a lot of people who were close to me. My Dad, Magnus...I loved them both dearly. My Dad died. We didn't even get the opportunity to bury him. As for Magnus, well...you know. The point is, I know the pain you're feeling. It's like a piece of you is missing, but that doesn't mean _all_ of you is missing. You're still in there, Kal. I know it. Just please, wherever you are, _you_ need you."

The door creaked open, causing me to turn to see Cass slip in. "I see it didn't go well," she sighed. Taking a sideways glance at me, she suddenly let out a snicker. "What on Runeterra are you wearing?"

I looked at her confused until I remembered the stupid cat ears and tail. I let out a frustrated groan, ripping the head band and clip on tail off of my person. "Don't ask. The stupid club decided to hold a 'memorial' for 'Airy' by dressing up as cats and giving women half-price on drinks. To be honest, it was disgusting to see. I tried to get him to leave, but he said he was fine. I should have known that he was lying, but I guess I just wanted to believe that he was. If not for Swain, I wouldn't have even known he was drinking so much. He intentionally snuck behind my back, Cass. He was switching drinks with people so I wouldn't catch him."

"Sounds eventful. What happened to his leg?" She gestured towards the wrapped gauze.

"I stabbed him."

"Wow? Did he put up a fight with you or something?"

I turned a bright red. "Not exactly," I whispered. "We were on the cab ride home and he kissed me."

"Awww, your first kiss."

"Cass, it wasn't my first kiss."

"But earlier…"

"Cass, I'm not going to get into the details of my sex life with you, but believe me when I say that my time with Magnus was very eye opening in multiple ways. It'd be nice to just forget that it happened at all. You think I wanted my first time to be with a guy like Magnus? But I was young, dumb, and unfortunately, full of…"

"Stop. Please, don't finish that sentence," she begged. "I really don't want to think about it. But, if he kissed you, why did you stab him? I thought you _wanted_ that."

"I do," I confessed. "I do. But, not like this. I don't want him to like me because I'm drunk, dressed like a cat, and am within arm's reach. I want him to like me because...well because he genuinely likes me. Not to mention, it's too soon. Ahri died so recently, it feels dirty. Truthfully, I feel awful for having these feelings. Even Swain thinks I'm just hunting for his rebound. I mean, after Magnus, I've been lonely, and i'll admit I got used to a certain...lifestyle. Am I really in love with Kal or am I just looking for someone to fill the gap?" I hung my head low with a sigh. "Cass, when did you find out that you weren't evil?"

She looked at me puzzled. "Find out? Kat, I've never been 'evil'. And neither have you, so don't say things like that."

"Murdering innocent people, assisting a madman in brainwashing champions, throwing a new Summoner under the bus, take your pick, Cass. I've done a lot of evil things."

"Doing evil things isn't what makes you evil, Kat. We all do evil things. How do you think I became like this? I seduced men for a living into giving up state secrets. I nearly killed Kal when we first met. He nearly killed me, too. But do you know why he didn't?"

This was news to me. Cass had told me they'd met in Kalamanda, but she didn't ever specify how. I shook my head. "Why?"

"Because he found out that I was your sister. He told me that he refused to kill a sister of his friend, especially when he found out why we didn't get along." She rummaged for a moment in her pockets before drawing out a piece of paper that had Kal's glyph in blood on it. "He gave me this. It's his sigil, right? He made me an honorary Ionian and said that I was part of his family now, too. Even when Garen attacked me, he stepped in to save me. I'll say this. Kal makes it really easy to love him. It's not our actions that make us evil, it's how we face them."

Kal let out another groan, this time, sitting up in bed. When his eyes opened, they weren't their typical sapphire selves. Now they were dull and seemed to lack the typical...spark. It's difficult to explain, but it was troubling. It was like the Kal that I was searching for had been deeply buried beneath something else. "Kal?" I asked carefully. "Are you alright?"

He just sat there for a moment, before turning to regard me as if my inquiry was delayed in his mind. Oh Gods, what had happened to him? Did that fall injure him? "Where am I?" He asked. "I remember being in the club and…" He rubbed his temples trying hard to concentrate through the headache. "What happened?"

"Cass...please excuse the two of us." My sister nodded, standing and slithering out into the hall. "Kal, you and I need to have a serious talk," I stated, trying to hide the hurt in my voice. I hated having to give him this lecture, but it was getting out of hand. "I don't want you drinking any more Kal."

"Kat, you're over reacting, it was just one…"

"Don't lie to me, Kal!" I shouted, slamming my fist down on my leg. "Don't you dare tell me that it was only one drink. I know you were just swapping drinks with people when yours was getting low. I know that you did it to deceive me. I'm trying to help you, so don't lie to me."

His gaze lowered to the bed sheets. "What happened to my leg?" he asked.

"I stabbed you. You tried to kiss me on the way back."

"So you fucking stabbed me? Gods, Kat."

"Don't 'God's, Kat' me Kal! Do you think I enjoy having to do all of this? Do you think I find it fun or entertaining dragging your drunken slobbering corpse up a flight of stairs only for you to go out and do the exact same thing the very next day?" I took his hands in mine, taking a deep breath and squeezing them tightly. "Kal, you need to stop. You're losing control of yourself and I'm scared you're going to drink yourself to death. I'm just trying to help you."

He tugged his hands away with a huff. "I never asked for your help, Kat. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't want your help? Maybe I like being mind-numbingly drunk! Maybe I want to drink myself to death! Maybe this is how I want to live my life and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Kal. Stop." I stated plainly.

"Why Kat? What do you care? It's not like this affects you in anyway."

"Yes, it does Kal. It affects all of us. You almost _killed_ Annie."

"Really, Kat? You're just going to make up stuff now?"

"Does my face look like it's joking to you?!" I snarled, causing him to flinch. "You were so drunk that you passed out and lost your balance. Annie tried to catch you but you knocked her down the stairs! She almost broke her neck and died Kal, and if not for Talon, she would have because I know I would not have reached her in time." He remained absolutely still, not breathing a word. "Kal, Ahri doesn't need you anymore."

He snapped immediately. "Shut up. Don't you talk about her."

"She is _dead_ , Kal! I'm sorry, but this is not a fairy tale ending! She doesn't come back! She doesn't get revived! She is dead and gone and there is _nothing_ you can do about it. Killing yourself won't bring her back! Nothing will."

Kal blinked back bitter tears as he tried to control himself. "I hate you," he uttered, breaking my heart. "How could you do that to me, Kat? How could you use her against me?"

"I am not the one who used her against you, Kal. I'm not your enemy." I could feel my makeup running down my face with my own tears as I sighed. "Great, now I'm crying." I reached to grab a tissue, plucking it from the box and dabbing at the streaks under my eyes. "Kal, I'm sorry if I'm failing you. But I can't just sit by and watch you destroy yourself so please, don't ask me to do that."

"Why are you doing this Kat? You're my friend...but so was Lux and everyone else who abandoned me. What makes you any different?"

I knew the answer to that question. I knew it the instant he asked it. It was stupid to think that I loved Kal, but it was earnestly the truth. I couldn't tell him that though. If I did, he'd push me away, just like he did with Lux. "Ahri doesn't need you Kal...but I still do." When he didn't say anything, I leaped on him, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding him in a tight embrace. "I need you, Kal. I need you. Please don't leave me. Don't abandon me the way everyone abandoned you."

I could hear him choking back his words as his heart pounded fiercely in his chest. Slowly, his arms wrapped around my waist, drawing me closer to him. "I'm scared," he finally admitted. "I'm scared that I'll fail you the same way I failed her. What if Magnus gets his powers back? What if he takes you and Annie and Cass away from me? What if I fail again?"

This was it. This was the source of his harmful behavior. He was trying to make a martyr out of himself. "Kal, if you were to die from something like drinking yourself to death...if you were to abandon us, you'd have already failed us anyway. People love you, Kal. Annie loves you. Cass loves you. I…" I paused, suddenly finding myself unable to continue the sentiment. "I need you, Kal. I need you as my Summoner and I need you as my friend. So if not for Annie's sake or for my sake, do it for your own: stop drinking."

"All right," he surrendered finally. His voice was barely a whisper in my ear, but his hot breath still gave me goosebumps. "I'll stop drinking. I promise."

"Cold turkey?"

"Consider it frozen," he joked, resting his chin on my shoulder. Turning his head slightly, he placed a kiss on my cheek. "Thank you, Kat. For not giving up on me, I mean."

"If things were reversed, Kal...I know you'd never give up on me."

Over my shoulder, Kal watched as the ethereal shape of his wife stared at him with her sad eyes. His body trembled as more tears fell from his cheeks. As her shape distorted and began to fade into nothingness, he mouthed two words to her. "I'm sorry."

Later that night, after all had gone to bed, Kal pressed his ear to the door listening intently to ensure that all was silent once again. Finally convinced, he cracked open the door, slipping out and making his way further down the hall. He'd promised Kat that he would drink, and that was true. But if he was going to be at the top of his game against Magnus at the trial tomorrow, he needed help, and he knew exactly where to find it.

Finding the secret hatch in the roof, he silently pulled the staircase to the attic down. It's hinges let out a tired whine that caused him to wince. When he heard no one coming to investigate, he let out a sigh of relief and began to climb.

Despite the darkness, the moon shining into the attic window was more than illuminating enough, and as he began to creep past the old treasures, he smiled to himself. At one point, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he stumbled across a stuffed manatee, a fierce expression on his face, and a gilded spatula brandished like a blade. When the initial shock wore off, he just chuckled to himself and patted the large thing on the cheek before finally coming to what he was searching for.

When Ahri died, Kal had placed most of their clothes and things in a box. Kat, having deemed them painful and with his consent, placed them in the attic. It was here now that he would find what he was searching for. Blowing the dust from the lid, he slowly opened it and began to fish around before his hands wrapped around the cool object. Lifting it from the box, he ran his fingers over the stylized etchings of the glove. Slipping his hand into it, he winced as the barbs once again dug into his flesh, feasting upon his aura to fuel its power.

He could feel the flames inside burning once again as his aura flared briefly with the new surge of energy. Once it had died down, Kal smiled to himself replacing the lid of the box. "It's good to see you again, old friend," he whispered, though no one was around.

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 6

 **AN: Hey everyone. SO, for those of you who haven't heard, I've lost my job for the summer. As such, I have a month to get the money I need to sustain me until the Fall when I will supposedly be rehired. I'm doing my best to find anything I can, but it'll be pretty tough with my social anxiety and the lack of jobs in the market. As such, I just wanted to let you all know that my writing may slow down a bit as I try to keep afloat, and for that I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy the chapter and I wish you the best of luck in life and literature. -Kiba**

Tussling my scarlet hair, I examined myself in the mirror. I always hated dressing up for these things, but yet, here I was, wearing a button down blouse and a pencil skirt that felt just a little too short for my comfort. As I wrestled with the tight fabric, a knock came at the door before it opened to reveal the face of Kal.

His eyes flowed over me from my head down to my feet before he quickly concealed a chortle. "Shut up," I quickly barked, tugging at the skirt again to try to get it to go down to at least my knees. "I hate tight skirts! They're so stupid. All they do is get in the way. How am I supposed to run in this dumb thing?"

"I don't think you are," he chuckled, approaching closer to me. Examining him in turn, my eyes fell on to his arm where a weird stone gauntlet resided. Catching me looking, he held it up to show me with a grin. "What do you think? It was a gift from the council forever ago. Ahri wasn't too much of a fan of it, but I thought I'd wear it for the trial. It helped a lot in the battle against Magnus."

Taking a moment to step towards him, I gently ran my fingers over the surface of the jointed rock, flowing over the glyphs and runes curiously. "This is Noxian sorcery. Did Riven craft this for you too?"

"No," he replied. "Like I said, it came from the council. It helps to amplify my aura. When I twist the runes, it boosts my output so my spells are more powerful. I try to keep it in reserve though. No use draining myself for something minor."

He seemed like a completely different person now. Gone was the sadness in his eyes. Now they were replaced with a determined fire that I more than welcomed in exchange. Reaching up to his suit, I smoothed out his lapels before smiling up at him. "It's good to have you back, Kal."

"It's good to be back," he whispered.

I grinned even brighter wrapping my arms around him and hugging him tightly. When I released him, I realized that his tie was a little off-center. "Here, let me get that for you," I offered, my hands grasping the knot and straightening it for him. "How's that?"

"Perfect," he replied. I could see his chest rising and falling as his breathing deepened, and it made me curious as to what could cause his heart to suddenly pick up speed. He took a step back from me, his face flushed.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, just a little light headed is all. Probably from how drunk I was last night. Sorry about that, again."

"I'm sorry for having to stick you," I replied, pointing to his leg.

He shrugged. "It's stopped bleeding now. I used some magic to patch it up a bit. Hopefully, we can put this thing to bed. Today is the day that Magnus gets what he deserves." I nodded in agreement. The fire in Kal's eyes flickered brightly and I could sense his passion returning bit by bit.

As we slipped out the door, I whispered a silent thank you to the Gods that everything was going well again. "Daddy!" Annie's voice called. Turning to look, Kal smiled at her, but before she could get in arm's reach, Talon appeared in front of her, and placed his hand out to stop her.

"Talon, what are you doing?" I seethed.

"It's okay, Kat," Kal assured me, walking closer to the two of them. Talon stood there, glaring daggers at Kal, but still he said nothing. "Talon, I know you're upset with me. I wish that there was something I could say that would excuse how I've acted, but I know there is not. But I love Annie. She is my daughter, and never in my worst days, would I ever do anything intentionally to harm her."

Annie, confused, looked between the two of them. "Uncle Talon? Daddy isn't going to hurt me."

"You may hug her," Talon finally grumbled, "but it will still be some time before I let her out of my sight. If you do something so foolish again, I will kill you."

"Talon!" I snapped, but again Kal held up his hand.

"I sincerely hope that I never have to fight with you, Talon. In time, I hope we can become friends. I understand your distrust and I understand you wish to protect Annie. However, she is my daughter, not yours. I will spend time with her whenever I wish." With that, Kal swept past him, taking Annie into his arms and hugging her tightly.

Talon was seething and I could see him ready to eviscerate Kal where he stood. The only thing that stopped him was knowing that by doing so, Annie would be heartbroken. Stepping between the two of them, I guided Talon away. "It's okay. I know you're upset, but just let it go. Walk it off." My urging seemed to work as my childhood friend disappeared in a huff.

"Bye, Annie. Be good, okay?"

"I want to go with you, Kal," she whispered, but he just shook his head.

"Sorry kiddo," he answered, ruffling her hair, "but this is one adventure you can't come with me on. I'll be back this afternoon, I promise."

As the two of us entered the train car, Kal took a deep breath. I could tell he was incredibly nervous. To be honest, I felt the same way. "Hey," I said, nudging him with my elbow. "It's going to be all right. This is what we've been waiting for, right?"

"Y-yeah. I just have some butterflies. I'm not big on public speaking, even if it is testifying against Magnus." I squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, I won't make the same mistake as last time. I'm not going to go off the deep end."

"I never thought you would," I lied. Our fingers wove between one another's, causing us to share a smile before he looked out the window. I had to admit, I was skeptical of his declaration the previous night, but today he seemed so much more...put together. I was relieved. It felt like I finally had my summoner back. "Hey Kal?"

"Yes?"

"I don't mean to put more pressure on you, but Swain's going to probably ask you again if you intend to be a Summoner for Noxus. Just know that if you need more time, I've no problems with asking him to…"

"No need, Kat," he interrupted. "I intend on telling Swain once and for all, that I'm not Noxus' errand boy." I frowned. I went to pull my hand from his, but his grip tightened. It wasn't painful, but it was enough to give me pause. "Kat, I want to reiterate that this has nothing to do with you. You're my friend, my only friend, and I'd never give that up for anything. I suppose what I'm saying is...do _you_ want me to be a Summoner for Noxus?"

The answer to the question was immediate. Of course I wanted him to be a Summoner for Noxus. I wanted him to be _my_ Summoner. But at the same time, I knew where he was going with his inquiry. "I want whatever makes you happy, Kal. I don't want to lose you and if you and I aren't Champion and Summoner anymore, then what's going to happen? I'll get a new Summoner, you'll leave to go to Ionia probably. You won't have a home, you'll have a hard time caring for Annie. If I'm your only friend, how can I not be concerned about you?"

"Maybe I do need more time to think," he muttered. "You have a point, Kat. I'm trying really hard."

"I know you are. Which is why, when Swain inevitably asks today, I intend to tell him that you need more time. It's not a decision to be rushed, not when there is so much hinging on an answer." I released his hand to wrap my arm around his in an affectionate mini-hug.

The two of us smiled at one another again, and for a moment, it looked almost as if he would kiss me again. This time, I would have welcomed it, but before anything could happen, the train came to a halt, having arrived at our destination.

"Well," he sighed, "here we go."

As soon as the doors opened, the roar of the crowd of Press officials was deafening to the point where you could barely pull out the individual questions, assuming you even wanted to. Despite the police barrier, a few reporters managed to leap in front of us. "Mr. Midori-hi! Can you comment on your request to delay the trial until today?"

"Ms. Du Couteau, is it true that you were engaged in sexual relations with the defendant while under his control?"

"Over here! What's your plan for future League encounters? Do you think that Summoners should require psychological testing?"

"Is being both Summoner and Champion going to be a new fad?"

Grasping my hand, Kal's gauntlet glowed for a moment before we both disappeared in a yellow flash and reappeared on the other side of the reporters. They began to trail behind us, but not before being cut off by Alistar who, with an angry snort, sent them running. "Are you okay?" Kal asked, causing me to look up at him in surprise.

"Am _I_ okay?" I repeated skeptically. "I think that's supposed to be my line."

"You check on me a lot, Kat. I think it's also pretty important for me to check on you, too. I know I haven't been doing a great job, as of late, but I intend on rectifying that. So, let's start here. Are you okay?"

I chuckled and nodded. "Yes, Kal. I'm fine. Reporters don't bother me. What bothers me is having to wear this stupid suit and not being allowed to carry my weapons. I'd like to at least have my daggers with me."

"Yeah, well...unfortunately, there isn't much of a choice. If it helps, since the court has an anti-magic field, I'll also be 'unarmed' so to speak. I tell you what, once we're done here, we'll leave and head straight back to the manor. No point staying around for an interview, right?"

"Definitely not."

"Then we'll have you out of those clothes before you know it," he replied with a smile, before turning a bright red. "Erm, that came out wrong."

I just chuckled again. "I know what you meant."

"Well, at least you can't stab me for making an ass out of myself this time."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something."

As we continued down the hall, a familiar shape hobbled into the hallway before heading in our direction. "Ah, Lady Du Couteau, Mr. Midori-hi, a pleasure to see you both." Kal didn't reply, but even still the smile on his face hadn't faded.

"It's good to see you too, sir. Kal and I are very eager for the trial."

"Glad to hear it. I wish you both the best of luck." After that, he simply hobbled away again.

"Huh…"

"What is it?" Kal asked.

"I was certain he would have brought up the Summoner issue. Maybe even Swain has enough decency to realize how stressful of a day this is," I commented. It was most certainly an odd occurrence for him to show his sympathetic side.

Making our way into the courtroom, it didn't take long for the trial to get underway. Sitting at her bench, High Councillor Vessaria Kolminye examined the crowd carefully. Ensuring that everyone there had permission to be present, she nodded and cleared her throat. "All rise," Volibear called out, serving as bailiff for the case.

There was the unified sound of stamping feet as all of us did as instructed. I looked around cautiously. I always hated being in such enclosed spaces without my weapons. If Kal were attacked here, there was little I could do to defend him. As we entered, I counted at least a dozen ways that I could have snuck in a weapon if I wanted to.

"The Honorable High Councillor Vessaria Kolminye presiding. The case of Valoran vs. Magnus Shiri will now begin."

"Prosecutor Kayle, are you ready to make your opening statements?" the High Councillor asked.

Standing, the graceful angel spread her wings with a nod. "Yes, ma'am. The Prosecution accuses Magnus Shiri of at least two dozen counts of kidnapping, forty two counts of murder, and one count of treason against the League. This man, in short, your Honor, is a monster. He has used his influence within the League of Legends as his own skeleton key to help himself to whatever he likes, regardless of the morality or legality at stake."

"Objection, your Honor! My client is being _accused_ of these actions, he has not yet been proven guilty in a Court of Law."

"Sustained. Please rectify your statement Prosecutor."

"He is accused of using his influence within the League of Legends as his own skeleton key to help himself to whatever he likes, regardless of the morality or legality at stake," Kayle corrected before continuing. "Among the crimes he's accused of is the kidnapping of a ten year old girl, in addition to butchering the entire village she lived in. Not only that, but he also is accused of murdering a Champion who at the time was loyal to him. Today, the Prosecution intends to ensure that all of the victims of these heinous crimes receive the justice they deserve, by revealing precisely who is at fault. The evidence all points to one person, Your Honor, and that's the Defendant."

Sitting back down, the High Councillor turned to the defense. "Defense, how does your client plead?"

The strange portly attorney stood up, clearing his throat. I'd never seen him before, but he certainly wasn't a regular. I don't think any champion was willing to defend him. It made me wonder where the League even managed to find someone who was enough of a slime ball to not want to throw the case to the Prosecution. "Of the two dozen charges of Kidnapping, my client pleads 'Guilty' to six of them. The other eighteen, he pleads 'Not Guilty'. Of the forty two counts of murder, he pleads 'Not Guilty'. Of the charge of treason, he pleads 'Not Guilty'."

He'd only plead guilty to a fourth of the kidnappings? What was he planning? I felt Kal's hand grip mine nervously, but I just squeezed it gently, reminding him that I was here for him as his Champion. It helped him to visibly relax, but I couldn't help but notice the way Magnus turned to give him a sadistic wink. "Don't let him get to you, Kal. He wants you to make a scene so your testimony is thrown out."

"I know. I'll be fine." I could tell by his expression that he'd wanted to make Magnus admit what he did to Ahri, but even still, I think we both knew he wouldn't be willing to do that.

"Defense, call your first Witness please."

"The Defense calls Thresh to the stand." Kal I took a sharp breath as the sound of the Jailor's skeletal bones scraping across the linoleum echoed in the now silent courtroom. His emerald green flames leapt around him as he boredly took to the stand. After swearing upon the Gods that he would tell the truth, the defense began their questions. "Now, Thresh, did Magnus ever try to control you?"

"Control me? Please."

"A yes or no will suffice, Thresh."

If he had eyes, I'd have imagined he'd be rolling them at the attorney. "No. Magnus did not ever try to control me."

"Did he kidnap you or anyone else involved in this case?"

"He didn't kidnap me personally, but he did kidnap a few champions. Even had me pick some up for him a couple of times. I'm not going to rattle off the list for you Councillor, but I can tell you that of the champions that allied themselves to him, myself, Warwick, Miss Fortune, Renekton, Katarina, and Ahri were ones that went willingly with him."

Kal's hand suddenly clamped down on mine painfully, to the point where I had to tap his arm to get him to release it. I could understand his rage. Thresh knew for damn sure that Ahri had _not_ gone willingly in the slightest.

"While in my client's employ, were you aware of any person he killed or murdered, be it out of spite or heat of passion?"

"No. He ensured that the experimental Spheres he used to control the others were safe long before actually applying them, and he never directly caused the death of a single individual."

"Prosecutor, your witness," the man answered, sitting back at the desk with a smirk.

Kayle stood, her divine essence flaring up like a beacon, despite the anti-magic field that kept it from singeing those nearby. "You said he never directly caused the death of a single individual, is that not so?"

"Very good, Prosecutor. I see you know how to listen. Your sister has painted an inaccurate portrait it would seem."

"What about indirectly?"

That wiped the smug grin off of his skeletal face. "Sorry?"

"Did the defendant indirectly cause the death of any individuals?"

"W-well, I don't…" Thresh began, but Kayle interrupted him.

"Your Honor, I have here, People's evidence G: the report of the skirmish on Summoner's Rift just prior to the defendant's capture. As you can clearly see, the Champion Ahri was murdered in cold blood by her teammate Warwick. A champion the witness has claimed freely followed the orders of Magnus!"

There was a rustling over the crowd until the High Councillor banged her gavel to silence the noise. As Volibear passed her the files, she flipped through them with a scrutinous gaze. "So it does. Witness, have you any explanation for this discrepancy?"

"Of course!" he snapped, before remembering who he was speaking to. "I mean, of course, Your Honor. It's true that Warwick went with him freely, however, it was not Magnus feeding him commands. Warwick's assigned Summoner was also involved in the battle and it was he who was presently controlling Warwick's movements."

"No further questions, Your Honor."

As Thresh passed us, he shot a hateful glare at Kayle. Even still, he found himself sitting on the side of the defense in a huff. "Next, the defense calls Warwick to the stand."

For a moment, I was worried that I'd have to hold Kal back when the large wolfman passed him, but his composure stayed surprisingly calm. The stand let out a tired groan as he sat, tapping the mic with a claw to see that it was working.

"Warwick. Were you commanded by your summoner to kill Ahri?"

"Yes. He was the one who gave me the order to kill her." That dirty liar! I ensured that his summoner was dead long before Ahri passed away.

"Come on Kayle, object! Say something!" I hissed under my breath.

"When you killed Ahri, did you do so of your own volition?"

"Of course not, I'd have no reason to want to hurt her. She was on our team." His eyes narrowed to Kal's as he bared his fangs in a sadistic grin. "We were all very... _close_." Kal's chest was heaving now. I could see him gritting his teeth trying to keep himself in control.

"Just a little longer, Kal," I promised. "We'll make them all pay for what they did."

"Kat, please stop talking," he growled in reply, causing me to fall silent. After a few breaths, he apologized. "I'm sorry, Kat. I'm just really trying to concentrate on not snapping."

"It's okay," I whispered back, but after I fell quiet again as he requested.

"Prosecutor, your witness."

"Warwick, if it was not your choice to kill Ahri...why did you do it? Summoner's can control champions, true. But if a champion resists, they'll freeze up. Why did you not resist killing Ahri?"

I had to admit, Kayle was doing an excellent job uncovering the facts, especially since she didn't actually know what had happened. We'd filled her in on our side, but the prosecutor always had a way of telling who was being truthful and who was not.

Again there were murmurs amongst the crowd. "Order! Order!" the High Councillor commanded. "Witness, answer the question."

"It's because...er...Magnus was controlling me!" he growled, pointing a clawed finger at the mage. "He placed a Sphere in me to prevent me from disobeying my Summoner!"

"Lies, you filthy beast!" Magnus roared in protest, jumping to his feet, causing more unrest throughout the room. The Councillor's gavel came down so hard I thought she was going to break the bench.

"Defense, control your client! Warwick! Why is it that you testified earlier that he had no control over you?"

"Because I was scared, obviously!" he snapped back. "You saw what he made me do to Ahri, and she was his _lover_. Imagine what he'd do to me, if I were to disobey."

Kal went to stand quickly, but I grabbed him by the shirt pulling him back into the bench before he could make a fool of himself in front of the court. He roughly shrugged off my hand, but didn't go to stand again. "So you're saying that it was ultimately Magnus and your Summoner who were responsible for Ahri's death?"

"Yes."

"No further questions, your Honor."

"Very well. Defense, do you have any more witnesses you wish to call to the stand?"

The man was sweating buckets now and I allowed myself a moment of celebration for our triumph thus far. Magnus was on the ropes and we were going to catch him in his own web of lies like the cockroach he was. Kal, however, did not seem to share my optimism. His eyes were instead glued on to Warwick as he shyly walked past us.

"Kal…"

"His lover... _his_ lover? How dare he even say such a thing?!"

"Kal, I know you're pissed, but is it worth throwing the trial to beat some sense into Warwick? He's small time, we're aiming for the big fish, right?"

He took deep breaths, but it did little to calm him down. "Yeah, I just have to focus on the end goal. This isn't just about Ahri, it's about all of Valoran. It's not about Ahri. It's about Valoran. It's not about Ahri. It's about Valoran." He repeated it over and over again like a mantra, and just like that the concern was rising again. I knew we should have put it off until longer. At this point, however, there was nothing either of us could do except for grin and bear it.

"This court will break for a twenty minute recess after which the Prosecution will call its first witness. Court adjourned." The gavel slammed once and everyone began to file out of the hall while Volibear escorted Magnus through the back. Probably for the best. I was still worried that Kal would try to strangle him if they got within arm's length.

On the other hand, I was thankful for the break. This would give Kal a chance to cool down before we were pulled to the stand, as we no doubt, inevitably would. Stepping outside for a breath of fresh air, we were approached by Swain once again. "Magnificent show," he complimented, clapping his hands slowly. "I have to say, the Prosecution really knows what they're doing. Maybe I'll request her services when we mobilize against Ionia." Shit.

"Sorry?" Kal asked.

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? Magnus was an Ionian Summoner. The fact that he attempted to control a Noxus Champion, not to mention conquer Noxus along with all the other states, that's grounds for a declaration of war."

What was Swain doing? Why was he trying to set Kal off? "Ionia had nothing to do with that and you know it!" he seethed, clenching his gauntlet clad fist tightly. "I swear to Gods Swain, if you...I'll…" Kal wasn't even able to form a complete thought he was so angry.

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a say in it Mr. Midori-hi. I do have to thank you, however, for foiling and revealing Magnus' insidious plot. If not for you, Noxus wouldn't be able to take another crack at Ionia for another 12 years."

"Why are you doing this?" I demanded, trying to place myself between the two of them.

"I suppose he could always drop the charges against Magnus, if he so wished. Without his expert testimony, I doubt the prosecution would get much further than they already have."

"Sir!"

"Over my dead body…" Kal hissed.

"Then it seems we are at an impasse. Sorry, Mr. Midori-hi. It seems the invasion of Ionia will resume once more." With a growl of rage, Kal brushed me aside before swinging at Swain with the full force of his gauntlet. Before it could even scrape his cheek, violet lightning lanced around him, causing him to cry in pain before collapsing to the ground on his hands and knees breathing heavily. "Remember, Kal...Summoners can't harm Champions in the Institute, and vice-versa."

"Leave Ionia out of this! They didn't do anything!"

"On the contrary, they appointed that villain in there as one of their Summoners. I'd say that's doing quite a lot." I leaned down to help Kal back to his feet, but not before Swain tapped his cane on the tile in front of his face. "On the other hand, I suppose if there was a Summoner who was opposed to the invasion of Ionia, that would counter the unanimous vote needed to declare war against them."

"You bastard," he growled. "This was your plan the whole time?!"

"Plan? I've no idea what you're referring to. I'm merely stating the facts. You can do with that information what you will. However, once the trial is over, if Magnus is found guilty, I intend to declare war on Ionia." Nodding his head, he turned to leave. "Good luck with the trial. I intend to grab a snack before I return to the show."

Kal's body leaned against mine, struggling to stand after the painful electric shock. "Are you all right, Kal?" I asked.

"I'm fine," he snarled, his fist still tightly clenched. Pushing himself from me, I quickly caught him as he almost fell over again. "Don't touch me. You know about this the whole time, didn't you?"

"Kal, don't be ridiculous. I'd never do that to you."

"Yes you would," he snapped. "I know how things are for Noxians. Do things regardless of the cost right? Well is this the cost? Force me to be a Summoner or give up getting justice for Ahri?"

"This is _not_ about Ahri," I reminded him. "This is about all of Valoran. And to answer your question, I am not on board with any of this! You think that I wanted you to be a Summoner this way?"

"I didn't say I was going to be a Summoner!"

Grabbing his shoulders I gave him a rough shake. "Kal! Snap out of it! I understand, you're upset. I'm upset. We're both upset. But right now you have to make a decision. Are you going to let Magnus go free?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Then you're either going to become a Summoner or let Ionia go to war again and I promise you that if you do it solely to spite Swain he will make it a hundred times worse on you. In addition to you being forced to be _my_ Champion, he will make you fight in the war. Do you understand me? He will make me force you into that and I don't want to do that Kal."

He covered his face with his hands as he tried to stop himself from crying. "That son of a bitch. I can't believe he is doing this to me. Doesn't he have any heart at all? Does he have any sympathy for any human being other than himself?!"

"Unfortunately, he doesn't have much of anything in regards to empathy. But what he lacks in that, he makes up for in drive and brilliance. But you heard him Kal. Noxus requires a unanimous vote in order to declare war. If you're a Summoner, you become one of the votes. You get to decide when and if we go to war." I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. "Do you want my opinion?" He hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding his head, using our embrace as an opportunity to nuzzle against me. Nuzzling back, I leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I think you're exactly what Noxus needs to become great again." Pulling away, I held his cheeks in my hands, smiling at him. "I mean it, Kal. You've done great things for all of Valoran. You'll do great things for Noxus, too. Even for Ionia, by keeping us out of war with them. Maybe in time, we can even patch things up with them and become allies."

He closed his eyes, an angry tear forming before I wiped it away. "I'm scared," he admitted. "What if I become like Magnus? What if I lose myself to Noxus' corruption and I become like Swain?"

I smirked. "Then you'll have me to beat your ass back into line." That brought a smile to his face. Even though the danger had seemingly passed, I was still pissed that Swain had dropped this bomb on him. Had I not managed to calm him down yesterday...I shuddered to think what he'd try to do to the High General.

"Recess is ending in five minutes!" Volibear called out from the front of the Courtroom.

"Looks like that's us. We should head back inside. Kayle may want to talk to us before hand."

I went to walk away, but Kal's arm latched onto mine, stopping me. "Kat?"

"Yes?"

Without a word, he leaned close to me and placed a soft kiss on my cheek, sending blood through my face. "Thanks," he murmured. "I'll be a Summoner, but I refuse to do it without you."

Beaming at him, I nodded. As we walked inside, I could still feel the soft sensation of his lips on my cheek and I was certain that my entire being was absolutely glowing from his token of affection. I'd have a talk with Swain later, but for now, I intended to just enjoy being so close to my Summoner.

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 7

 **AN: Hey everyone, new chapter, finally. For those of you who didn't know, Houston was hit by a massive flood. I've been out of power for the last few days. But, I'm back now. I hope you all enjoy. I'm going to keep working on these stories, as well as some original works. If you're interested in reading them, let me know. I'm always eager to share them with readers and I love hearing feedback. -Kiba**

"Court is now in session!" the voice rang out. Dozens of Summoners and Champions alike had assembled to see the shit show that was about to occur. "Kal'adamsul Midori-hi, you are charged with Champion Negligence. How do you plead?"

My eyes went to the young kid. Despite having worked together for a year, I still wasn't much of a fan of him. He was such a smug bastard, only for his bravado to fall short of his skill. Standing nervously, he cleared his throat. "Not Guilty," he replied. Showtime.

"Katarina Du Couteau, please take the stand." I slowly made my way through the aisle, keeping my eyes on him. Instead of flashing him a smirk like I wanted to, I knew I needed to maintain my mask. When he turned to look at me, a scowl on his face, I made a show of recoiling away from him before the Bailiff gently pat my shoulder, helping me to the stand. "Ms. Du Couteau, were you the Champion bound to this Summoner?"

"No sir," I meekly replied. "I was assigned to him by the High Council as a training Champion."

"Would you say he was inexperienced in Summoning?"

My eyes glistened as I slowly nodded. "It was his first time," I explained, "I was excited to see how our training would pay off. Looking back, maybe I pushed him too hard in training, otherwise he wouldn't have...have…" I sniffled loudly, letting my false tears fall to the stand. "I'm sorry," I whimpered, "I just need a moment."

"Take your time," the man sympathetically said.

"Thank you," I whispered, 'regaining' my composure.

"What did this young man do, Ms. Couteau?"

I bit my lip nervously. "I don't want to get him in trouble," I murmured. "But...in the middle of the fight, he stopped giving me commands. He would just walk me into ambushes and then just let me be killed, over and over again." There were hushed whispers amongst the jury as kid sat there, eyes glued to the table in front of him. Looking at him, I whispered, just loud enough for the mic to pick up. "He's not able to summon me in here right? I'm worried he may make me change my answers."

"You're perfectly safe, Ms. Couteau," the man answered. "Why do you think he led you into those ambushes? Did he have ill will against you?"

"Objection your honor! Leading the witness!"

"Overruled. Answer the Question Ms. Couteau."

"I...I guess he may have. Like I said, I was a little hard on him in training, but that's just because I wanted him to succeed. Maybe he couldn't handle the pressure, so he took it out on me."

"No further questions, Your Honor," the attorney stated, taking a seat at the Prosecution.

"Defense, are you prepared for the cross-examination?"

"The defense has no questions, Your Honor." I let myself have a slight grin. Even his own attorney had become sympathetic to me thanks to my display. As an added gesture, as I walked past his Defense, I mouthed a silent 'thank you'.

"No further witnesses, Your Honor."

"Then in that case, Kal'Adasmul Midori-hi: this court finds you guilty in one count of Champion Negligence on the rift. As such, you will be stripped of your Summoner Position and be placed in a detainment facility for one year. Case dismis…"

"Wait!" A voice called out from the back of the courtroom, causing everyone to turn to look at the person interrupting the proceedings. Coming through the aisles was a woman with long white hair, with her shoulders wrapped in a cowl.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but you can't…" She held up her hand and in one gesture, silenced the Prosecutor.

"Your Honor, I am Queen Ashe of the Avarosan."

The kid was just as shocked as I was by her sudden presence. What the Hells was going on? The High Councilor took a deep breath. "Very well, under the Equal City-State Testimony Act, any leader of one of the League's Factions may speak in court. Say your peace, Ashe."

"Thank you, Your Honor," she replied, tipping her head respectfully before turning to the crowd. "When I first heard that the League of Legends was now inducting young citizens into the Summoner program, like many I was absolutely shocked. Like many Champions, I scoffed at the notion that someone so young and inexperienced could possibly have what it takes to not only fight in a war, but to have such a large influence over Valoran's affairs. That is, I did, until I realized that I myself was one such person. When my mother perished, I was but a child, and suddenly I found myself in a leadership position. Instead of going after blind vengeance, I elected to attempt to unite the Freljord once again. Many did not agree with my vision, but with the guidance of a hawk, I was granted Avarosa's bow!" She held the weapon aloft. It was a beautiful crystalline bow, seemingly weaved from ice itself. "Avarosa was a legendary hero for my people! She was the Queen of all the Freljord when we were a great nation, all unified under one heart. I took up her bow and her name and over time, perhaps I lost sight of the idea that a 'child' can make a difference."

"Your Honor," I began to protest, but Ashe quickly interrupted me.

"I am _not_ finished!" she boomed. "As I was saying, I've been following the work of the program since the beginning. Of all thirty candidates, Kal'Adamsul is the only one to make it through the Aura Strain Examination. This proves he is very strong willed and is a testament to his devotion to his goals. I took great interest in this young man, so during his first match I kept a close eye on his Champion. Which is why I saw the shakes."

Damn it, this bitch was running everything! What the Hells was she even doing here? "Apologies, Champion. Would you care to clarify what it is you saw?" the High Councilor asked.

"Shouldn't you be objecting?" I hissed to the Prosecutor.

"Against the High Councilor? Not on your life."

"The 'shakes', Your Honor, are what we Champions call the subtle tremors that are caused by resisting a Summoner's influence. When being Summoned, Champions are controlled in movement by Summoners. If we refuse to move, our bodies struggle for control, which make us jerk. However, it is far more difficult to hold a Champion still than it is to force them to move. No offense meant, but far out of the level of influence this young man has. He was trying to remove Katarina from danger. She intentionally put herself there, most likely to discredit him as protest for being forced to train him."

"What in the Nine Hells is your problem?!" I snarled. "How is any of this your business?!"

Ashe turned to me, her fierce eyes piercing straight through my skull. "I will not let you snuff out a bright man's dream of peace because of some demented game you're playing. Your Honor, I motion that the case be dropped, and what's more, that Kal'Adamsul be placed under my tutelage for the remaining time he is in training."

"Granted," the High Councillor agreed before turning to Kal. "Be warned young man: if not for her grace, you'd be rotting in a cell. See to it this accusation does not come up again."

"Yes, Your Honor," he whispered, bowing his head low. "May I say something?" She nodded. "Thank you. From now on, I swear before the League that I will sync my nerves with my Champion when I summon. It's been too long believed that Champions are tools to be used. I will feel every ounce of pain mine feels as proof that I would never intentionally put them in danger."

"Young man, what you are proposing is not only unnecessary, but it incredibly harmful to your own body. No one would ask you to do such a thing, nor do I expect you to."

"I know, but I intend to do so anyway."

With hushed whispers, everyone filed out of the courtroom. Before leaving, Kal paused in front of me, Ashe watching him curiously.

"I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much, but I want you to know that whatever it was, I'm sorry."

I gritted my teeth. Now this weakling was apologizing! Leaning closer, I hissed to him just out of earshot of anyone else. "Listen closely kid. You don't have what it takes to be a Summoner. Run on home to whatever hick town you came from. If you truly cared about your Champion, you'd quit now because you will never be able to make them reach their full potential." Turning away from him, I stormed out of the courtroom, leaving him stunned in silence.

* * *

When we returned from the Recess, Kayle was straightening her paperwork as Kal and I took our seats just behind her. Turning to regard us, she gave a somewhat grateful nod. She'd been acting very strangely lately since the incident in Piltover. While I wasn't there personally, the ripples caused by the discovery of Orianna's human body caused ripples throughout the Rift. I knew she'd been the prosecutor there, but lately she'd seemed so much more...considerate. "I hope the two of you are ready. I intend to call you both as witnesses. Be careful." Her eyes turned from us to the Attorney at the defense table. "I don't like that man. I fear he will make his cross examination as rough for both of you as possible. You must keep your wits about you. One slip, and he may be able to move for a mistrial. I'm sure I don't need to remind you that we only have one shot at this."

"Just focus on your job, Prosecutor."

"Kal!" I snapped at him. "This is _exactly_ what she is talking about." Turning back to her, I bowed my head. "I apologize. He has just received some troubling news. Perhaps it would be better to call me first so that he has time to cool down some."

Her seemingly endless eyes stared deep into his. For a moment she simply remained silent before she opened her mouth and spoke. "I know that you are in great pain. I will not berate you or look down upon you for that. I know that you feel suffering. I wish to help alleviate that suffering. But I cannot do it alone. Please. Help me to help you." I was completely stunned by her words. I'd never heard Kayle utter any thing akin to asking for help, much less empathizing with someone's situation so...heartfeltly. What the Hells happened in Piltover?!

Kal took a deep breath before nodding his head in understanding. "Yeah, okay…" he whispered, closing his eyes. "I understand, but...please, just call Kat first. Just in case."

"Very well," she replied. "Do know that when you are on the stand, I will act as your shield as best to my ability. You prepare yourself. Katarina, will you be ready to go on stand?"

"Yes ma'am," I answered, gently resting my hand on Kal's.

"Good."

With that, she turned back, her wings once more spreading outwards before folding politely behind her back. She seemed so much more...graceful now. Volibear once more marched Magnus to the defense before sitting him down. The High Councilor then stood, speaking up. "All rise. The Case of Valoran vs. Magnus Shiri will continue. The Honorable High Councilor Vessaria Kolminye is once again presiding."

"All right Prosecutor, please call your first witness."

"Yes ma'am. The Prosecution calls Katarina Du Couteau to the stand."

Giving Kal's hand one last reassuring squeeze, I moved through the gates and climbed into the small seat stationed there. My heart was pounding in my chest. I couldn't believe how nerve wracking actually being up here was. "Now Ms. Du Couteau," she began, "could you please explain to us your whereabouts during the murder of Ms. Ahri?"

"Objection, Your Honor! Information not…"

Kayle turned on the man instantly. "Your witness has already testified to killing Ahri. Regardless of whether or not your client is responsible, it does not change that she was killed in cold blood. I am warning you now to not play games and waste this court's time, or I will personally see to it that you are charged with obstruction."

"That is my line, Kayle," the High Councilor blithely informed her. "But she is right counsellor, your objection is overruled and please think before objecting to simple questions. Ms. Du Couteau, your answer, please."

"I was in the Summoning Chambers," I explained, leaning closer to the microphone.

"That's an odd place for a Champion, isn't it?"

What was Kayle getting at? "Yes ma'am. Kal knew that Magnus would most likely try to break his concentration on the match, so he and I switched places once he became a League-Sanctioned Champion. I too was rushed into being a Summoner, though I didn't truly do much in the way of Summoning."

"So, what then was your actual role in the match?" she asked.

"My job was to ensure, at Kal's request, that Magnus did not know he was there until the last possible moment. That way, he could get the drop on whoever he faced in lane."

"Who did he end up facing?"

"Ahri."

"I see. Can you explain to me how it was you first became involved with Kal?"

"Well, after discovering that Ahri had managed to manipulate the test to have herself bound to Kal, he was curious to who he would have been bound to. Turns out it was me."

"And before that?"

I took a deep breath. I'd hoped this wouldn't have come up, but I supposed it was inevitable. "Before that, Magnus was my Summoner...unofficially, of course. I was under his control until Kal freed me."

"Thank you. Now then, do you retain any memories from the time you were under his control?"

"Yes."

"Do your remember what he stated his plans were?"

I nodded my head. "He wished to gain control over as many Champions and ex-Champions as he possibly could before working to forcibly take over the League."

"No further questions, your Honor." I went to stand, but Kayle held up her hand. "Wait a moment, Ms. Du Couteau. The defense earns their cross-examination." I froze, completely embarrassed that I'd forgotten.

"Thank you Prosecutor. "Now then, you were in the Summoning Chamber, correct?"

"Objection, Your Honor! The Witness has already answered that question in testimony."

"Sustained. Keep the ball rolling counsellor."

"Apologies, Your Honor. Ms. Du Couteau, while you were in the Summoning Chamber, was it because your present Champion/Summoner did not trust you on the field of battle?"

"Objection, Your Honor!"

"Settle down, Prosecutor. No need to get worked up. Councilor, please rephrase the question in a way that is not so insulting please."

The man rolled his eyes before shooting a glare at Kayle. "Why do _you_ think your Summoner requested your presence be in the Summoning Chamber?"

"We were pretty certain that Magnus would try something underhanded," I explained. "He wanted me there because he hoped that he'd be able to break Ahri from Magnus' control, and also so I could keep an eye out for trouble from him or his subordinate."

"I see. Though, earlier Ahri had come of her own free-will to Magnus side. Was he lying?" My eye stared deep into his as a shudder ran down my spine. Technically, she had when she agreed to trade places with Annie. "Technically," I began, but he interrupted me.

"So, how then did Kal 'free her' from Magnus' control?"

"Kal had these rings that would…"

"So he used magic?" the Councilor scoffed. "He used magic to convince a woman who willingly joined Magnus to change her loyalties instead. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that seems like it'd be more than enough grounds for a Summoner to order one of his teammates to attack another."

"He used magic to remove his hold over her," I tried.

"But you just explained that she went willingly. If she willingly joined his side, there would be no reason for him to try to control her."

"She went willingly to…"

"No further questions, Your Honor," he interrupted, silencing me.

"Your Honor, the Prosecution has more questions for the Witness!"

The man spun on Kayle in shock." He hadn't expected her to follow up after his Cross-Examination. "Ms. Du Couteau, I only have one more question, if you'll indulge me. Why was it that Ahri willingly went with the Defendant?"

"She was part of a trade," I quickly explained, thanking the Gods that Kayle was so competent. "Despite Kal's reluctance, she traded herself for Annie, so that Kal could free the young girl from Magnus' _magical_ control," I emphasized, glaring daggers at the Defense Attorney. "Ahri hated Magnus, but she, as any true Champion would, put a little girl's life over her own in importance."

"Your witness, Defense." Kayle replied, sitting down again.

The man looked as if he were sweating buckets now. "Ms. Du Couteau," he started, his voice struggling not to tremble. "This isn't the first time you've been on the Witness stand, is it?"

"Objection, Your Honor, relevance?"

"Establishing credibility, Your Honor."

"Sustained. Answer the question, please."

"No, it's not."

"And last time you also lied on the stand." Kayle immediately went to stand before he interrupted, "I'll rephrase. Did you at any time falsify your testimony in that previous case?"

"I don't have to answer that question," I snarled. "I know the law well enough to know I don't have to incriminate myself."

"So you _are_ incriminating yourself by answering?"

"Your Honor!"

"I retract my question," he quickly added with a smug grin. "Now then, how is it that Kal actually freed you from my client's alleged control?"

"Well...he…" I began, stammering and trying to find a way to explain before a fire formed in my belly. "I refuse to answer that question."

"Self-incrimination, again? Retracted." This bastard! He was retracting it, knowing that the Tribunal couldn't just forget what either of us was saying. "In regards to your previous case, if I recall you accused Kal'Adamsul Midori-hi of committing a similar crime to my client. Why would you join a man you thought was a criminal? Assuming you did not lie about your accusations."

"I joined him because unlike your Client, Kal would do anything to protect the people he cares about and to stand up for his ideals! Your client is nothing more than a coward and a monster, and I was done with having anything to do with him," I snarled, before realizing that I'd overstepped myself and clearing my throat. "Kal is a good man. I recognized that after becoming free from Magnus." My eyes went to his as a soft smile spread across my lips. "I wish I'd realized a lot sooner."

"Your Honor, I move to strike the Witness' entire testimony from record."

"What?!" Kayle bellowed as she stood, slamming her fist on the table. "On what grounds?!"

"It's not difficult to see, Your Honor, that she has romantic feelings for Kal'Adamsul. She would say anything to assist him and as such may be under his magical control. I would like to point out that those my client has plead guilty to controlling were able to enter the anti-magic field of the League and it did not disrupt said control."

There was a murmur in the crowd as both Kayle and I began to tremble with fury. Surprisingly, Kal seemed rather calm about the entire thing. He stood up and cleared his throat. "Your Honor!" he called.

The entire room fell silent as everyone's eyes fell on him. Kal was always nervous about speaking in public, but this time, he seemed completely composed. "This is very unorthodox, Summoner. I'll allow you to speak, but if I don't like what I hear, you will be held in contempt."

"Your Honor, I agree with the defense's movement." The entire courtroom exploded with confused words and voices of panic. "There is no way to determine that I am not manipulating Katarina's testimony, so in the point of fairness, I'm willing to rely solely on my testimony instead once I've sworn in. Assuming that the Prosecution has no objections."

Kayle was completely speechless as she stared at him. Finally, her wings drooped in surrender and she nodded.

"Very well, Katarina's testimony is to be stricken from record and ignored by the tribunal. Prosecution, call your next witness."

"Your Honor, may I request a short recess to…"

"Your Honor, my client has a right to a speedy trial. The Prosecution should be more than amply prepared for her case, regardless of her shortcomings in choosing witnesses." Kayle seemed ready to tear this man apart, but the High Councilor nodded her head in agreement.

"Call your next Witness, Prosecutor."

"Prosecution calls Kal'Adamsul Midori-hi to the stand," she hissed through gritted teeth. As he passed me, he flashed me a soft smile before once more returning to his stoicism. Climbing onto the stand, Kayle swept in front of him. "Mr. Midori-hi. Please explain to the Tribunal what happened on the rift that day."

"The Council of Equity was suspicious of Magnus for a while after my sanctioned investigation began to point to him. He had already started causing trouble all over Valoran to test the capabilities of his miniature spheres of influence. Realizing that he would most likely influence my own Champion, I devised a plan to remove all control he had over every champion. I found a series of rings that served as anti-magic relics, specifically to bonding. The plan was to beat him in a straightforward match on the Fields of Justice, at which point the relics would strip him of his magic."

"I see. Was this effective?"

"Very much so. Once the Nexus was destroyed, Magnus lost his control of all the champions he'd been controlling."

"So everything went smoothly?"

"Objection, relevance!"

"What is the meaning of your question, Prosecutor?"

"Your Honor, I am establishing that Magnus was indeed hostile and uncooperative with attempts that the witness made to peacefully end the conflict."

"What peaceful attempts?" The Defense argued.

Kayle just smirked. "Ask him yourself during the cross-examination, counsellor."

"I'll allow the question."

"Thank you, Your Honor."

"No," Kal sighed, looking down at the microphone. "It didn't go smoothly. In the end, my Champion...my...I'm sorry, counsellor, I'm struggling to put it to words."

"Take your time," she comforted him.

"Ahri and I were more than Champion and Summoner. Over the course of the year and a half of investigating we did together, the two of us were in love. When she died, I didn't just lose a Champion and a friend, I lost the woman I intended to marry."

"Objection, Your Honor! We've already heard testimony that she was my client's lover!"

"You say that as if one cannot have multiple lovers," the High Councillor replied smugly. It seemed even she was beginning to enjoy treating this man like a punching bag. "But he has a point, do you have any evidence that would confirm that the two of you were lovers?"

"Yes, Your Honor," he began, causing me to look at him perplexed. How on Runeterra, did he intend to prove that? "As the magical records will indicate, before Ahri was killed she told me that she loved me. They were her second to last words."Kal.

Second to last? What was Kal talking about. "I see," the defense interjected. "What were her last words, might I ask?"

"It is not your turn, Defense," Kayle started, but the High Councilor held up her hand before nodding to Kal to answer.

"Her last words…" Kal whispered, suddenly falling quiet, "were that I was going to be a father."

There was a huge uproar from the court as everyone began shouting in protest and confusion by his statement. "Order! Order!" Kal had never told me that Ahri was pregnant. Was he lying? No, he wouldn't do that. Which meant that when Warwick stabbed her through the stomach, he…Oh Gods. Kal...I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner. This was about more than Ahri.

"Your Honor," Kayle began much more smugly, "I have here as evidence C, Ahri's autopsy revealing that she was indeed pregnant with twins before they were killed by Warwick. I'd like to move to add two counts of manslaughter to Mr. Shiri's list of charges."

"Done," the High Councilor granted. "Any other pieces of evidence to submit in the incident of conjunction to Mr. Midori-hi's testimony?"

"Yes, Your Honor. Exhibit A is Kal'Adamsul's full report regarding the entire investigation and incident. I have made copies for the Tribunal as well." Kayle's grin that she flashed to the defense was downright sadistic. Had the two of them planned this all along? Kal had known they would strike at his feelings and he turned it around on them. Good work, Kal!

He was at a loss for words as he tried to recover from the stunning blow. "Defense, your cross-examination."

He shuddered, looking at Magnus who remained completely silent as well. "No further questions, Your Honor," he growled, causing Magnus to stand rapidly.

"I swear to Gods, I will kill you, you bastard!" He snapped at Kal, but just as he went to rush him, I leapt the wall and gave a flying kick to his hip, sending him to the ground. "You traitorous bitch," he growled. "I made you! Without me, you are _nothing_!"

"Order! Bailiff, escort the defendant to his cell! Tribunal, you may leave to prepare your verdict." As they filed out, Magnus swearing a storm, Kal took a deep breath and stepped down from the podium. As the two passed each other, I could see the hatred and rage in Kal's eyes. If he had his magic, I was certain that he would have fried Magnus the moment he came at him.

Kal's lips moved, but I didn't hear what he whispered to Magnus, but as soon as he finished, Magnus began to struggle even more. Kal's expression however, just smirked as he came closer to me. His face was unnerving, but I quickly swept it away. I was relieved because finally, it was done.

The Tribunal came back in almost no time at all. "Your Honor, we find the Defendant Guilty on all counts."

"Thank you. Court Dismissed."

That night, Kal and I sat at the house, a cup of tea in either of our hands. "To victory?" I offered.

He clinked his cup against mine before smiling and taking a sip of his tea. "To victory," he whispered, almost sadly. "Sorry if I don't feel much like celebrating."

"Kal, be happy," I tried, nudging him. "We _won_! It's over. Magnus is getting what has been coming to him for a long time. You got justice for Ahri, you got justice for all of Valoran! Can't you enjoy that?"

He sighed softly, setting the teacup down. "I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to talk about Ahri. It was a stupid hope, but even still…"

I reached my hand to his, grasping it. "She'd be proud of you, Kal. You did good work today. I wish I could have been more help. I'm really sorry that I failed you."

"Failed me?" He asked perplexed. "No, no, no. You didn't fail me, Kat. It was everyone else who failed me. You, Kat, are the only person I can count on. I know that now." His words were cold and icy as he stood, downing his tea. "I'm going to bed. Call Swain tomorrow and tell him I'll be a Summoner for Noxus. My life needs to start anew. Kal, Ahri's Summoner, he's finished his mission. He's dead now. It's time that Kal, Summoner of Noxus, begins his. Good night, Kat."

Before I could even speak, he was gone, leaving me alone in the sun room, unable to comprehend what I'd just heard. I told him he should be happy, and I believe that. But then, why was I suddenly so terrified.

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 8

 **AN: Hey everyone. Sorry this chapter took a little while. I'm working on speeding up my process a bit once I find a job. It's been going really slowly still, so I'm willing to tutor people in math and creative writing. Any bit of money helps, and if you're interested, let me know. I'd be more than happy to discuss price and such. If not, that's fine. Don't feel like you can't message me or review. Just a heads up in advance, the lemons contained in this chapter get a little intense. I hope you enjoy. -Kiba**

Two weeks later…

* * *

After the trial, things seemed to spiral out of control very quickly. Faster than I could even begin to explain. Kal, as he promised, agreed to be my Summoner on behalf of Noxus. When Swain announced that they were going to have a conflict with Demacia over their large consumption of resources in the Crystal Scar, he didn't even bat an eye. To be honest, the sudden shift troubled me, but at the same time, Kal seemed much more chipper now.

He didn't talk much to me, well in the sense that he didn't really talk much to anyone. Every now and then, we'd go eat somewhere, or I'd find him reading a book in the study. But as time passed on, he just withdrew more and more.

When I finally came in on him sitting in the lounge, staring at a blank wall, I felt that I needed to address my concerns. "Kal?"

Turning he looked to me with his stoic and expressionless gaze. "Oh, hello Kat. I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry. I just wanted to check in on you. Are you okay?"

"Fine," he replied.

I sighed, sitting on the arm of the chair, crossing one leg over the other. "Kal, I'm really worried about you. You've been so...quiet…"

"Is quiet bad?"

"No," I admitted, trying to figure out how to make him understand. "Just...concerning. If something was wrong, you'd tell me wouldn't you?"

I was surprised when his arm reached around my waist, drawing me closer to where I was sitting in his lap. What was he doing? Just as I was about to question him about the strange action, I felt his lips on my throat, nibbling playfully at my skin, and causing my cheeks to redden further as a soft purr formed in my throat.

"K-kal?" I questioned, unable to formulate a response to his forward action. His hand rested on my stomach, my own joining it. "What are you doing?"

He sighed, pulling away from my neck and withdrawing his touch. "Sorry," he whispered. "It's just been so long, you know? When I was with Ahri, we'd have sex like...twice a week. Now, it's been almost half a year since she took Annie's place."

"I don't mind," I quickly countered, before kicking myself for being so forward. _C'mon Kat, keep it in your pants,_ I thought. _The man's wife died. Now is not the time to be flirty._ He smiled softly at me, his hand returning to its original location.

"You've been a huge help to me, Kat. I wish there was someway I could repay you." This was like the beginning to a bad porno, I noted. Even still, I found myself playing the part of the ditzy slut, my fingers slowly tracing along his wrist.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," I whispered in a huff. Without a word, my other hand ran through his hair, allowing my fingers to feel the silky texture flowing between them as I leaned ever closer.

He too leaned towards me, his breath clashing with mine between us. How long had I wanted this? I'd told him before that I'd never fall for him. Just when did that become a lie? Our lips met, a warm and tender kiss of affection as he held me.

I couldn't believe this was happening. It was a dream, it had to be! He loved Ahri too much to be over her so quickly. Even still, I found that every sensation was real. The caress of his lips on my own sent bliss racing through my system as I pulled him into the kiss.

I wanted this. I _needed_ this from him, and I'd be willing to do anything to get it from him. Even still, something in the back of my mind screamed for me to stop, and so I reluctantly pulled away from him, my hand trailing to stroke his chest. "I'm glad you're okay, Kal," I said in a hushed tone.

With that, I went to detangle myself from him before walking unsteadily from the room. He didn't reply, rather he just watched me leave before going back to staring at the wall. As I sauntered out into the hall, I nearly ran straight into Cass who had a large grin on her face and immediately, I knew that she knew.

"Cass…"

She gave a slow clap. "I'm impressed, sister. It's not often someone can pull a man out of mourning in less than a month." I huffed, brushing past her. I really didn't want to talk about this. "I'm not judging you Kat," she quickly explained, following after me.

"You could have fooled me," I grumbled.

"Seriously! I think you're really good for him. He's been holed away for far too long. Playing the carrot is sometimes better than the stick, you know?"

"Cass, you're not helping me at all."

She slithered in front of me before stopping. "Katarina, you told me before that you want us to be more sisterly, right? Well, guess what, talking about boys comes with the territory. I told you about Brett, remember? So tell me what happened with Kal. Did he start it or did you? Come on, I need details."

"We kissed, that's it! Now will you leave me alone?!" I snapped at her, causing her to take a startled movement back. "Gods damn it!" I slipped into my room, slamming the door shut behind me as I went to my bed and collapsed upon it.

"Aunt Kat?" A meek voice called, shortly after.

"What?!" I boomed, before realizing that it was Annie. "I'm sorry, Annie," I sighed, "I'm not having a great day right now."

"Oh," she whispered, looking down at the ground. "Aunt Kat...is my Daddy okay?"

Taking a deep breath, I swung my legs off my bed, patting the spot next to me for her to sit. "Of course he's okay," I lied. "Why wouldn't he be?"

She sat there, twiddling her fingers nervously for a moment as if she were afraid to speak. "It's a secret," she murmured. "I'm not supposed to tell."

That caught my attention. Something was definitely wrong. "It's okay, sweetheart. I promise, you won't get in trouble. Why do you think he's not okay?"

"Sometimes at night. I hear him talk in his sleep. He says scary things."

"Scary things?"

She nodded her head. "He says things like 'I'm glad Ahri's dead' and 'I want Kat'. I don't know what that means. What does he mean by he wants you? Does he want you to be dead like Ahri?"

I breathed, ruffling her hair before drawing her into a hug. "You'll understand when you're older. Right now, just know that he's just having bad dreams. Sometimes when people have nightmares, they say silly or scary things."

"Oh, okay."

I'm glad I was able to convince her, because I couldn't do the same for myself. If Kal was saying things like this, then something was definitely bothering him. If we were going to fight Demacia tomorrow, we'd need him in top condition.

Later, that same night, I lay in my bed, reading a bizarre book called 'Manifesto'. It was about some writer who created some version of our world, only to get sucked into it. It was eerie how similar and yet different the characters were. It was like some sort of twisted mirror.

Just as I was about to get to the big reveal as to just how the writer ended up there, my door cracked open, causing me to look up with a start. There was a slight pause as my hand slowly slipped under my pillow for the dagger, until Kal's icy blue eyes appeared. "Hey, are you asleep?"

He already knew the answer, given that my lamp was on, but I nodded anyway. "Is something wrong, Kal?"

"In a sense," he answered, slipping inside and closing the door behind him. Sitting up, I shyly pulled my comforter to cover myself. When I slept, I tended to wear as little clothing as possible. A pair of panties and a silk chemise were more than enough for me.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He said nothing at first, simply approaching me to sit beside me on the bed. "I'm really sorry about this afternoon, Kat. I didn't mean to…" he paused for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't regret kissing you," he corrected. "I'm just sorry that I made it awkward between us. The truth is, ever since the trial, I've been seeing you in a different light."

"I'm glad you're here to talk about that Kal, today Annie told me she heard…"

"I know," he interrupted. "I can't help what I say in my sleep, Kat. But...even if one of those things isn't true, that doesn't mean that both are."

My heart was now pounding in my chest as his hand rested on my thigh, slightly exposed beneath the tight fitting fabric. "Kal, I don't...I mean, I don't want you to feel like…" I couldn't figure out how to explain myself to him without sounding awful. I wanted to tell him that there was no rush. That, if he truly did have feelings, I could wait for him to finish mourning. But still, I found myself unable to speak.

"I want you, Kat." His words struck me to the core. Before I could reply, he leaned forward, kissing me for the second time today. I wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not, but I knew what I wanted to believe, and so, perhaps stupidly, I let myself believe it.

I kissed him back. Pulling my comforter from my reluctant grasp, he pushed it aside before slowly laying me down on my own bed. My chest felt like it was going to burst as his body hovered over mine.

"Kal," I groaned, unsure if what was happening was right. What if he regretted it the next day? What if it made it so that he could never see me like this again? Those concerns vanished quickly as he kissed me once more, this time far more roughly. He was full of raw passion and lust that spread like a virus through my entire body.

His hand lowered down my body, caressing the inside of my thigh and urging my legs apart. I obeyed, spreading them slightly so that he could press his delicate fingers against my panties. His tongue wove with mine as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him against me.

There would be no going back now. Pausing briefly, I lifted my arms to allow him to pull my top off over my head. In turn, I took the opportunity to explore the body I'd lusted after for quite some time. He'd come in wearing only a pair of shorts and a tank top, but I quickly worked to discard them so that I could run my hands along his muscular torso.

Our eyes met, and I found myself encapsulated as my lips fell apart, a gasp of delight escaping as moistness began to spread through the fabric of my panties. A shiver ran through my body, my nipples hardened, but from the cold or his touch, I couldn't determine.

My hand too went down his body to find that he, himself was aroused by our affection. This would be the first time I'd touched a man since Magnus, and I found myself excited at the prospect of Kal being the one to end my dry spell. To show him such, I mirrored his movements with my hand, stroking his bulge at the same rate he was caressing me.

He gave a happy sigh as he leaned down to me, kissing my throat as he had before. The purrs came soon after and I knew that I needed him. Now! I hungered for his touch and his lust. I needed to feel his body against mine.

I felt his teeth sink into my throat, causing me to give a low whine of surprise. "No, Kal wait...don't…" my words trailed off as the small bruise began to form on my neck. What would the other champions think when they saw it? _They'll know that you belong to him_ , my mind echoed. I grasped his hair, pulling him against my neck as I panted in his ear, silently pleading him not to stop for anything.

His kisses trailed from my newly formed hickey as my body lay there in a stupor. He sucked roughly on my nipples, abandoning my damp undergarments to squeeze and massage my breasts. Was this what Ahri experienced? If so, it was little wonder that she fell for him so quickly.

My body screamed for him, begged and pleaded like a small child in a candy store, desperate for the sweetness that he offered. Having now finished suckling both of my tits, his lips continued their journey, down and down and down. When he reached my navel, I wondered if he intended to stop or if he would give me every woman's dream.

Sure enough, I soon felt his tongue, pressing against the fabric that served as a frustrating barrier between the two of us. Even still, I couldn't move my body as he teased and taunted it until finally, he relinquished his grasp on my desires.

I took the opportunity to quickly slip from the remainder of my clothes before assisting him to do the same. Now the two of us lay together, completely bare and exposed. This was a good thing, wasn't it? I ceased caring at this point. Grasping his hand in mine, I eagerly redirected it back to my waiting snatch.

He gladly obliged me, slipping his fingers first along the tight lips before curling them inside of me. He was moving so slowly! The yearning in my body would never be satisfied at the rate he was going. His thumb pressed against my clit as I eagerly grasped his face in my hands, kissing him over and over again. My back arched as he pulled from my grasp, leaving my mouth open and panting.

He knew the signs well. He knew exactly what I wanted from him. Pulling my legs, he bent them, spreading them apart as he crawled between them. Again, our eyes met and soon I could feel the throbbing crown of his cock pressing into me.

A deep and desperate moan fled from my lungs as my fingernails dug into his back, urging him onward. "Kal, please!" I begged, pressing up against him. I was possessed now. Even if he tried to back away, I doubted I'd let him.

Still, he remained silent, a sly smirk spread across his lips as he slipped in inch after thick inch. I was a puppet for his dick; warm, inviting and more than willing to serve as a burial place for it.

When at last he was fully inside of me, I wrapped my legs around his hips, thrusting up against him as he began to pull out. I'd take my pleasure from him myself if he continued to tease me, and when even that didn't work, I used my skill to throw him to the ground beside my bed before pouncing on him.

His eyes went wide in surprise as I forced myself down on to his dick, moans trailing out of my lips over and over again as I began to ride him roughly. I was shocked at myself. Had I truly wanted it this badly that I'd practically attack him for it?

Even still, he adjusted quickly, his hands moving to my hips to support me as he fucked my mind into an oblivion of bliss. I leaned forward, bracing myself against him as my head tilted back. "Kal! I'm...I'm…!" I let out a cry of pleasure as I speared myself down for one last rough thrust, cumming hard on his body.

As the shaking began to leave me, I panted heavily. I felt exhausted with my scarlet hair plastered to my face in sweat. Even still, I was hungry. I wasn't done yet. Not until I'd made him spill his seed the same way he did for _her_.

That was when things took a turn. Grasping me with unnatural strength, he easily pulled me from his member, placing me down on all fours. I wanted this so badly, until he crept behind me and placed himself at my asshole.

This, I was not okay with. I didn't want it. His cock had already felt too large for my pussy, but even still, I couldn't protest. Something grasped my body deep inside forcing me quiet and still as began to shove himself into my tight black cherry.

I grit my teeth, holding in a scream as he began to stretch me. He spit onto my ass, though it did little to help the eye watering pain. It hurt so badly, it felt like he was going to split me in two.

Against my will, my body pressed back against his, causing a fiery burning to spread through my sphincter as the unused muscles tried to drive him out, despite that I couldn't stop myself from pushing him further in. "K-ka…" I tried to hiss, but even still my body quickly silenced my protests.

As a pained tear ran down my cheek, I finally surrendered to his raw might, allowing his throbbing member to invade my colon and force my face into the plush carpet of the floor. I felt like a dog. Little more than a pet to be abused and utilized. I hated that feeling so much and I couldn't grasp why in the Hells I couldn't stop him.

Was it because I loved him? Somehow, I wasn't sure, and when he'd finally buried himself up to the hilt, I felt his hand spank me fiercely, causing me to let out a muffled cry into the carpet. Sitting back, he pulled me upright, sliding me down on to his shaft until my toned cheeks rested against his pelvis.

Pulling me against him, I could feel his chest against my back as his hands wrapped around to roughly pinch and pull my nipples. Gone were the gentle sensations that had sparked this encounter, replaced with a harsh roughness that I found myself pleading would end soon.

Leaning forward, he placed a kiss over the small hickie on my neck before purring into my ear. "Do you like this Kat? Does it feel good?"

This was my chance! I could stop this now. I opened my mouth to tell him to stop, but instead, the words that tumbled out were ones I wished had not. "Gods, yes! Please Kal! Abuse me. Fuck my ass bloody and raw like the good slut I am! Make me your toy! Your pet! Your whore! Don't stop for anything!"

He did as I'd unwillingly instructed him. He began to bounce me roughly on his dick while his hand slipped between my legs to finger and tease me. Every time I came close to cumming again, he'd slow down, prolonging my agony and even still, my body seemed to love him even more for it.

Salty streaks coated my cheeks now as I hissed out my pain and discomfort, only for it to transform into moans in my throat, spurring him on to be even rougher. _Please,_ I begged my body, _don't do this!_ But of course, it ignored my thoughts.

His balls and hips slapped mercilessly against my asshole, small and warm droplets of blood oozing down my thighs as he continued to tear my rectum in two. Couldn't he see he was hurting me? Didn't he care?

 _Why would he?_ My mind asked. _You told him this is what you wanted._ I didn't, something else had taken control of me and done so on my behalf. He pinched and pulled on my clit, adding to the pain, until finally, with a triumphant moan, he buried himself to the hilt and flooded my tight colon with his blistering seed.

It burned painfully on the cuts and tears, but even still, he held me in place as he finished emptying himself inside of me. I moaned, kissing his cheek and gibbering my thanks before he pulled from me.

Detangling himself from my body, I wrapped my arms around my stomach as he went to sit on my bed with a content sigh. Even still, it seemed as if the demon inside of me was not yet finished. I found myself crawling towards him, my tongue flicking out over my lips and I knew what was to come next.

I screamed in my own head, begging my body not to make me do this, but even still, I found myself on my knees before him, my hands stroking his thighs with affection as I leaned closer. Wrapping my lips around his cock, I pushed myself down, sucking in the foul taste of my sweat and blood mixed with the saltiness of his cum.

The tears had begun to fall again, hidden by my bangs as I bobbed up and down on his shaft, slurping at the disgusting mixture that presently had coated him. I could feel my asshole, now gaping from the rough treatment. "Oh...Kat, that feels wonderful," he sighed, running his hands through my hair and pulling me deeper onto him.

I retched as his cock entered my throat, but even still, with almost no strength at all, he kept me there, choking on his meat like a well-practiced whore. Pulling back, I slipped a hand between my legs, teasing myself. Now my own body wouldn't even let me cum, anymore.

Still, I moaned my subservience into his rod, my eyes falling half closed as fatigue seemed to wash over me endlessly. "Poor thing," he cooed, stroking my hair. "You seem exhausted. I guess you pushed yourself a little too far."

I nodded in agreement, still not willing to let his dick fall from my lips. I was exhausted. I was tired and sore and part of me wanted this whole thing to just be over so I could sleep and forget about what had started as something wonderful and ended in misery.

"My poor sleepy little kitty," he whispered to me. "Don't worry, kitten. Just keep sucking and I'll have some nice warm cream to help you sleep. I know how much my kitty likes her cream."

My only response was a muffled purr into his meat as I again sank myself as far as I could, nuzzling his inner thigh with my check as I gagged to do so. I spent another twenty minutes on my knees before he finally came again, flooding my mouth with his spunk.

I swallowed every drop, releasing his member with a relieved gasp as he crawled into my bed. Patting beside him, my tired body crawled in as well. "As much as I'm sure you'd love to keep going," he yawned, "I fear I've become rather sleepy myself."

"That's okay," I purred to him, nuzzling up to his body. "Thank you so much, Kal. It was everything I'd hoped for." It was a lie, but even still, I said it. Closing my eyes, I eagerly allowed sleep to take me.

Even still, it was not restful. Every hour or so,I'd awaken, finding myself compelled to suck him off once more, until finally, I simply passed out exhausted with my lips wrapped around his cock.

I awoke the next morning, his fingers tangled in my hair. Had he been fucking my mouth while I slept? The answer came quickly as I swallowed down another quick load before coughing in surprise. "Good morning," I whispered, sitting up in the bed aI nd snuggling against him. "Thank you again for last night." Why did I keep thanking him? I should have been telling him the truth: that it was the second worst experience of my life, just after Magnus.

"Don't mention it," he answered, kissing my cheek. I smiled softly. This time it was slightly genuine. That was one upside, I supposed. He still was gentle and affectionate, at least now. I couldn't blame him know. He wasn't a mind reader and for whatever reason, I couldn't bring myself to tell him, 'no'. "Do you want to shower before we go to our match?"

My entire body shuddered as I struggled against its first impulse. "Yes," I finally managed to urge out, despite my being's reluctance to say so. He had a strange gleam in my eye from my answer, but it quickly passed.

"Would you care for me to join you?" He tried.

This time, I nodded my head. I didn't want to have sex again, but somehow in my head it made sense to have him help clean the mess he'd made. Sure enough, he didn't make any serious moves on me while we were showering.

His hands wandered, certainly, but I suppose that was half of the point of it. After the two of us were soaped up and rinsed off, I stepped out, feeling much fresher than I had from the previous night's escapades. My jaw was still incredibly sore though.

"You know, I've been thinking…" I started, causing him to glance at me with those eyes of his. "Maybe we can get someone to sub for you today. I know that you have a few friends in Demacia. Are you sure you'll be okay fighting against them?"

"I'll be fine," he assured me. "They're not my friends anymore. You're all I need now."

For some reason, the way he said it made a chill go down my spine, but I surrendered to his insistence, wrapping a soft towel around my body. Coming to me, he unwrapped the towel, electing to dry me himself. For a moment, I was losing myself in his touch again, before I caught myself and pulled from him with a slight smile. "We should get ready."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," he agreed, wrapping a towel around himself and vanishing from my door to go to his own room.

It wasn't long after that we were in the Summoning Chamber, standing with the other champions and their Summoners. Tapping his cane, Swain cleared his throat. "Good morning everyone. I'm sure I don't need to inform you of the importance of our mission today. A year ago, those Demacian dogs betrayed their agreement in Kalamanda. They deceived one of our own, though I shant name names…" He didn't have to. Everyone's eyes drew to Kal for a brief moment, though no one was brave enough to ignore Swain for long. "...and as such, have taken some of our valuable resources. Today, we earn them back and we show them that just because they think themselves just, doesn't mean they can walk on us who disagree." Pointing his finger to the virtual map in front of us, he began to go over battle strategies and key places to confront the enemy.

My eyes were on Kal, however. He had this thousand yard stare on his face as he stared up at the board that listed the champions involved. It wasn't hard to see why. My path of attack put me up against Lux, and part of me worried that he'd struggle to fight with her. I nudged him with my hips, catching his attention. "It's okay," I assured him. "Just remember, if she dies, she respawns. No one will really get hurt here."

"Like I said earlier, Kat. The only friend of mine on that field is going to be you," he replied icily. Was he really still so angry with Lux? _That's good_ , I told myself, _that just means he'll fight harder for Noxus._

"I'll do my best."

"Good."

With Swain's speech over, he nodded to each of us in turn. "I'm sorry to say I will not be joining you in this battle. Even still, I wish you all the best. Noxus is counting on you all. Show them that we are not to be trifled with." Hobbling out of the room, I closed my eyes, feeling the familiar dropping sensation of the teleporter.

As color shattered into existence around me, I found myself on the rift once again. Grabbing the equipment Kal had sent me, I quickly made my way down the planned path. I had to admit, the movement felt so natural. I guess Kal was keeping his promise when he told me he'd tried to make it as unweird as possible when he summoned me.

Standing firmly, it wasn't long until the blonde haired mage soon appeared in sight. When she saw me, her eyes went wide. "No, you must be kidding me…" she murmured as I drew my daggers. "I can't believe you, Kal! First you say those awful things to me, and now look at you...a traitor to your own people." Leveling her scepter towards me, the timer began to count down in our minds.

"Shut up," I hissed. "You don't get to judge his decision, Lux. I'll give you the option now to step aside. I don't want to hurt you, but I'll gladly cut my way through you for Noxus _and_ for Kal."

"Nice hickie," she countered. "Do you usually go for the rebound of your dead friend with her husband?" The timer hit zero and I quickly hurled a dagger straight past her, slicing her cheek and cutting off a lock of her hair.

I quickly shunpo'd behind her and caught the dagger mid air before grasping her around the neck to her surprise. "Don't act all innocent, girl. We both know you're not the goody two-shoes you try to make yourself out to be."

The battle had officially begun. I swore to Kal over our mental connection, I wouldn't let this girl accuse him any more! She was supposed to be his friend, and I'd show her the power of loyalty, one way or another.

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 9

 **AN: Hey guys. Really quick: another warning. This chapter is full of incredibly graphic content, including depictions of violent rape. Read it at your own risk. I hope you enjoy the story. -Kiba**

As I stood there, my arm wrapped around Lux's neck and dagger at the side of her face, the fierce brawl was escalating at a rapid pace. "You have a lot of nerve criticising him after you abandoned him," I growled.

"I didn't abandon him!" she protested, just as a bright light illuminated behind me. I quickly flourished away, just as her light bomb detonated in a harsh blast of heat. "He's the one who told me he never wanted to see me again! He's the one who told me he didn't need me!"

"You selfish little brat!" I roared, deflecting her charged up shots from her scepter off of my daggers. "His wife died and all you can care about is yourself! Of course he lashed out at you! He lashed out at everyone! You think he didn't shout at me or anyone else? That's what you do when you're mourning a loved one. You wouldn't know because you Demacians are all...stuck up...cowardly...ungrateful...fucks!" With every enunciated word, I hurled daggers into the skulls of her minion soldiers. "And guess what Lux, the entire world doesn't revolve around you."

She let out a cry of rage, throwing her scepter in a wide arc towards me. As it spun through the air, I quickly dove out of the way, just before it moved to strike me hard in the chest. With a quick wave of her hand, it flung me into a tree with a painful thud. My back was already sore from Kal's rough treatment the night before, but I had to keep fighting.

The scepter continued putting pressure on my chest, trying to crush the air from my lungs against the thick bark. Grasping a dagger, I threw it straight at her, and just as expected, she removed the scepter using her light magic to shield herself from my attack.

With a puff of smoke, I appeared behind her, delivering a fierce kick to the back of her head. As she fell forward, I reappeared in front of her, to catch her chin with an uppercut. Part of me was furious with her. She was supposed to be his friend! She claimed all the time that she loved him and that they should be together, but when he needed her most, she just up and runs?

Pivoting on my heel, I spun quickly, causing her to hesitate. Using my angular momentum, I whirled about before releasing a fierce tornado kick to the side of her head that sent her to her knees. I had to say that I was impressed by Kal's know-how. That kick was difficult for me to master, so being able to replicate it so well was a show of just what he could do while he was Summoning.

"At least I wasn't some slut for a villain," Lux gasped, trying to recover. "Though I guess you did get promoted to the slut of an asshole."

Oh, this bitch was really going to get it now. I felt a dull throbbing in my head as I easily wrenched her scepter from her before striking her hard in her face. The downed light mage tried to scramble away from me, but grabbing her by the front of her shirt, I easily dragged her into the woods. What was Kal doing with my body? Maybe he wanted to scare the piss out of her for her comment. He did tend to lean towards chivalry.

Hurling her face-first to the ground, I straddled her before grasping a thick vine and binding her hands behind her back. So much for the chivalry. Memories of the previous night began to flash in my mind as my dagger started to cut through the leather straps of her armor. "Kat, what are you doing?" Lux asked, her voice trembling.

"I...I don't know…" I admitted as my body continued moving on its own accord. My knife easily sliced through the fabric of her shirt and tight leggings, cutting them from her. _Kal, stop!_ I echoed through the telepathic link. _This is going way too far!_

He didn't respond, only continuing until at last she was completely naked in the dirt. "Kat!" Well if he wouldn't listen, then I only had one choice. I closed my eyes and began to concentrate hard on breaking our connection, only for an intense pain to spike through my head.

Flipping her over so I was on her stomach, she looked up at me with terrified eyes as the edge of my dagger rested on her collar bone. I tried again to break the connection, only for the same effect to happen. It hurt so badly, but I had to try: both for Kal's sake and Lux's.

Even still, my body moved, almost flawlessly to lean forward and force my lips against hers. She let out a surprised squeal as I was forced to kiss her against my will. What the fuck was Kal doing?!

My tongue slipped out to create a slippery trail of glistening spit down her trembling throat. I could only imagine the horror her Summoner was experiencing watching this. Her entire body became covered in goosebumps as I reached her breasts, circling her nipples with my tongue. Lux, I'm so sorry! _KAL! Please stop this!_ My thoughts were full of panic as I begged again and again, but still, there was no reply. I roughly squeezed her blossoming breast, wrapping my mouth around as much of it as physically possible and sinking my teeth into the sensitive flesh.

She let out a screech of pain as the foul taste of blood began to ooze into my maw. Kal had gone off the fucking deep end. Pulling away from her, she looked up at me silently pleading for me to help her but try as I might I couldn't do a thing.

The pain in my skull was getting more intense by the second and even still the shakes weren't coming. When did Kal become this powerful?! How could he fully control me and I not fight back even a little. Any small amount of control I could get would do, but I couldn't. "This is what naughty sluts get," I hissed. Now he could force me to speak as well? Memories of last night again bubbled to the surface. It was him! He was the reason for my strange behavior! "Lux, this isn't me!" I quickly managed to get about before what felt like an icepick being lodged in my skull shut me up again.

"Kal…" Lux murmured as I kissed down her stomach to crouch beneath her legs. "Kal, I'm really sorry! I didn't...I didn't really mean it," she tried, but I knew that for this new sadistic side it was too late for apologies. As my tongue flicked her young clit, she let out a moan of surprise.

"You like to call people sluts, but it seems to me like you're more of a slut than anyone. Look...you're even wet already before the fun has begun." Grasping her hips, my tongue speared into her as my cheeks burned a bright red in shame. Her moans began to fill the woods around us. She couldn't even control herself as her back arched against both of our wills.

"Kal, come on," she begged. "Think of Kat! Imagine how scared she is right now! You're forcing her to...nngh...rape me! Please, Kal, just let us both go, I won't say a word, I promise!" In answer to her please, I drug my teeth against her clit. She gave a pained hiss, but even still her fluids began to flow faster. "Kal!"

 _Kal! Fucking listen to her, please! She is_ _ **begging**_ _you to let her go! This isn't the way to do this!_ My fingernails sank into her flesh as I lapped at her moist cunt, my body giving sensual moans against my will as I screamed inside of my mind for control. No matter how hard I tried, my will wasn't a match for Kal's Summoning. _STOP KAL, PLEASE!_

"Oh Gods, oh Gods, oh Gods," Lux repeated over and over again as her legs squirmed uselessly in the dirt beneath me. "This...this isn't right, Kal! Please," she whined, "I don't want this! I'm sorry for what I said to you! I know you were just hurting, but please!" Her whimpers and moans dissolved into sobs as she began to openly weep beneath me.

 _Kal!_ Removing my tongue, I set aside my dagger before slipping three fingers into her tight snatch. I began to pump her, slowly at first before speeding up my pace. Her head tilted back, her lips open in a gasp torn between horror and physical ecstasy.

"St-stop!" Lux stammered, her body unable to fight against the quickly mounting pleasure. Instead, he simply added another finger. He was nearly fisting her now, his thumb rubbing small circles on her sensitive clit until she seized up, tightening around my fingers and cumming.

 _Okay Kal! She came! You proved she's a slut, now stop! Just let her go!_ He ignored me, cupping as much of her femjuices as he could from her and slowly drizzling them into her open mouth. She sputtered, but still swallowed quite a bit of it. "Now who's a slut?" I whispered with words that weren't my own. "Next time you insult my pet, you'd better be prepared for the consequences."

I started to get up. It was over. When we got back, I had to turn Kal over to the League. There was mourning the loss of your wife and then there was this! Now he'd gone too far over the line and there would be no coming back from it. "What happened to you?" she whined behind me. "I used...I used to look up to you. I used to think you were a hero. You did everything you could to save Valoran. You even saved me. You were _my_ hero, Kal. Now...you're a monster. You're no better than Magnus."

What the fuck was she doing?! Sure enough, my body froze, turning on her again. "Care to run that by me one more time?" I snarled, causing her to look up in fear. "No, please...I didn't hear you. Say it again."

"You were my hero, Kal…" she whimpered, trying to scramble away, leaving a glistening trail on the jungle floor. "Please Kal, I know there's still good in you! Please stop this! This isn't what Ahri would want!"

I felt an agonizing fiery pain lance through my head. I'd all but given up resisting at this point, but it seemed like even breathing on my own was going to be controlled by the demon my Summoner had become. Leaping on to her, he began to squeeze down on her throat. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK HER NAME!" I roared in her face. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT HER! YOU FAILED HER! YOU KILLED HER! YOU FAILED ME! YOU ABANDONED ME WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST!" Grasping her scepter tightly, he turned around so my back was facing her. "And now...I'm going to make you pay for it." Forcing her legs apart, she seemed confused until he roughly jabbed the small forked butt end into her virgin asshole.

She screamed in agony as it tore through her flesh. _Don't resist, Lux!_ I begged in my head. _If you try to resist it will only hurt more!_ Despite her screams and the resistance her body naturally put up, Kal still shoved it nearly three fourths of the way in. Her colon must have ruptured from his treatment. At this rate, she'd die within a few hours, maybe less.

"Kal…" she murmured pitifully, unable to even summon the strength to beg him again to stop. At this point, I knew it didn't matter. He wouldn't stop. He'd fallen into the pits of the Nine Hells and he'd come back as something else. He wasn't Kal anymore.

 _You son of a bitch! She's your FRIEND! Stop doing this to her! Why are you making her suffer like this! Please, just let me end this quickly! Just a little bit of control, I beg you, please!_

Finally, he responded. _Kat. Stop talking, or else you'll be next._ The coldness of his voice shocked me to the core as I sank into the recesses of my consciousness. I tried to turn away, to not look at what he was doing, but it seemed he wanted this to be a lesson to me. He forced my awareness out. He wanted to make sure I felt every sensation of my physical body. The way she struggled helplessly beneath me. The difficulty and force I had to exert in order to shove in the hard scepter.

Just as I thought it was over once again, praying he would just leave her, he reached down and picked up the discarded the flat of the blade on her mound, Lux's heart rate was through the roof. She'd fallen still, unable to even struggle anymore, until she felt his fingers on her hard clit. "Kal, no!" But with one fell swoop, he slice it from her, causing her to seize up in agony. She was in so much pain, she couldn't even cry out and just as she was about to pass out, Kal slapped her to keep her conscious.

"Oh no," he whispered through my mouth. "You're not going to get out of this that easy. You're not going to just escape into the void. I want you to feel everything. Every single bit of pain!"

What more could he possibly do to her? What else could he possibly take from her that would scar her more than he already had? She would hate him for the rest of the life. She'd never be able to fall in love with someone without every time they went to touch her bringing back memories of this moment. Taking the dagger, he spread apart her folds and slowly began to lower the tip towards it. Oh Gods, he wasn't! _KAL!_ I screamed in my head, forgetting his earlier threat, and just before I was going to watch him force the blade in her to the hilt, my head was suddenly hurtling through the air. My shocked eyes watched as my body collapsed on top of her, looking up to Garen as my vision began to grow dark and bleak. _Garen...I'm so sorry!_

I felt myself falling once again until I arrived back on the Summoning pad, but now my body was completely in my control. What happened? Where was Kal? With a tug at my existence, I ended up in the Summoner chambers, League officials standing there completely furious. "Katarina Du Couteau! You are under arrest!"

"N-no! Please, I didn't have control! I swear!" I begged, but even still I didn't resist as they roughly threw me against the wall, handcuffing my arms behind me. As they began to drag me away, they pulled me past Swain, a look of grave concern on my face. Just as we were rounding the corner, I saw Garen carrying the limp and stunned body of his younger sister. "Garen, I swear, it wasn't me! Please, you have to believe me! IT WASN'T ME!"

I continued screaming my innocence until I lacked the strength to call out anymore. My body was weak, unable to struggle after the anguish Kal had put me through. When they finally threw me hard to the stone floor of my cell, I collapse onto my hands and knees. They then tossed a bucket in along side me before slamming the heavy iron gate shut behind me.

Covering my eyes with my hands, I began to weep uncontrollably before sitting against the wall and pulling my legs to my chest. I buried my face in it, the tears now unrelenting as they drenched my cheeks and my knees. There were many reasons I was crying. I cried because I was mortified by what I'd done. I cried because Lux who was like a younger sister to me was hurt at my hand. I cried because of the pain I felt in my body from trying to resist. I cried because the man I thought I'd loved turned out to be even worse than the last one.

After sobbing for nearly an hour all alone, I heard the door to the prison open. Footsteps trailed through, coming to my cell before stopping just outside of it. "Katarina Du Couteau," the guard barked. "You have a visitor."

Was it Kal? Come to exact his revenge on me or to silence me for good? "Kat?" A soft feminine voice called out.

Turning my head slightly, I looked up at a concerned Lux. I could see from her posture that she was still limping, a remnant of the pain she'd felt while in the Rift. "Lux, I'm so sorry," I whimpered, my entire body heaving. "I...I…"

"I know," she answered. Turning to the Guard, she pointed at the lock. "I want you to open this door and let me talk to her...in private."

It was clear that he didn't want to, but with a sigh, he surrendered. Nodding, he unlocked the cell and slid it open. "Shout for me if you need help," he instructed.

Lux smiled weakly at him. "Thank you. I'm sure that won't be necessary." As the door shut and locked behind her, she approached me. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't sit down," she murmured. I'm sure she was trying to joke about it, but the tone that she had indicated that it wasn't something she could just laugh away. "Kat...before you apologize again, I know that it wasn't you doing that stuff to me." I remained completely silent, unable to even look her in the eye. "All I ask is why you didn't resist Kal's control? You could have stopped him from...from…"

"I tried," I muttered. "Really, I did. I put every ounce of will I had into preventing him from doing what he did to you...but it wasn't nearly enough. I don't know how, but he's become too powerful. I couldn't even stop him from speaking through my lips."

Despite what she'd said earlier, Lux turned and placed her back to the wall. She slowly slid down it until she came to a rest beside me. "I believe you." Her words were solemn, but honest. "Even at your worst, Kat, I know you wouldn't have had the capacity in your heart to do that. Before today, I wouldn't have thought Kal capable of that either. But now…"

"You should be recovering. What are you doing in here?"

She wrapped her arm around mine, pressing her head against my shoulder. "I love you, Kat. You're like a sister to me. I still remember the way you stuck up for me to Garen when he was shouting at me in public. I remember how you tried to teach me so much and even though I hated you then, you tried your best to be my friend." She took a deep breath, nuzzling against me. "What I'm trying to say is, at your trial, I intend to tell the court that it wasn't you who did this. I don't want to turn on Kal like this, but I refuse to let you suffer and be punished for a crime that he committed. The fact that he was using your body...he may as well have raped you too."

For a moment, I didn't say anything. Just hung my head low and let myself embrace the young mage. "Something is really wrong, Lux…" I whispered. "That... _thing_...whatever it is, it isn't Kal. I'm really worried. I'm terrified of who else he may hurt. What if he goes home and butchers Annie or Cass or Talon? What if he goes on a murderous rampage and destroys all of Noxus or Demacia? I'm scared that I won't ever get my friend back."

Lux hesitated for a moment. "You really loved him, huh?"

I nodded weakly. "Very much. I'm sorry. I know that you probably hate me for caring about him. I don't know how or why he became like this, but I intend to find out."

She sighed, grasping my hand tightly. "Kat...he's gone! You have to let him go. I don't want to believe that Kal is this way either, but he is _gone_. You have to wake up and see it! You don't need to protect him. Even Ahri would…"

"Lux...don't," I interrupted. "I know you're trying to get me to see it your way. I understand. But please, don't bring Ahri into this. You know what happened last time you did."

"Kat, he _raped_ me! There isn't anything there anymore! He's just a monster now and he deserves to be brought to justice! He needs to be locked away before, like you said, he gets the chance to hurt anyone else!"

I knew she was right, but still I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. It didn't make any sense for him to be this way. Why was he being like this? There had to be something that was causing this. "What if Magnus is influencing him?" I tried. "Maybe...maybe he managed to sneak a summoning orb in his drink or…"

Lux cut me off by placing her hand on my shoulder firmly. "Kat...stop. Don't do this to yourself! You're looking for reason in a place there is none. Kal. Is. Gone. It's not Magnus with some sphere, even if he did still have his magic, it wouldn't be him. It's not Kal is going through a phase. It's not depression from loss going too far. He simply _is_ a monster, now. You have to see that."

I didn't want to believe her. As compelling of a point she made, I wanted to deny it. I had to deny it. If the man who rescued me from Magnus was even worse, what hope could I possibly have for the world? What hope could I possibly have for _me_? Even still, I knew what Lux wanted to hear. "Yeah...you're right," I finally surrendered. "Just...can you do me one favor? Just one thing and I'll never ask for anything again."

"Kat...he's going to have to face trial," she started.

"I know," I quickly countered. "I know that. But...just let me be the one to bring him in. Please? I...it wouldn't feel right letting someone else be the one to do it."

With another deep breath, she looked at me and I could tell she was reluctant to make that call. She could easily exonerate me and get me free, but with a little help, she'd also be able to slow down the process and let me get a head start on the League's capture team. Finally, she nodded. "Fine. But Kat, when you find him, don't hesitate. If you give him the chance, he'll just take control of you. I don't want you to get hurt doing this. So promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise."

"Where do you intend to start looking?"

"Ionia. If he's going to lay low, he'll go somewhere that he's familiar with, but at the same time he won't want to go somewhere people may expect him to be. That means Ahri's grave and their house are both out. However, he won't be able to move without attracting attention unless he gets help."

"So you're going to go see Riven?"

"If I can find her."

"All right. Let me handle things here. You go ahead and get going. I'll cover for you."

I gave her a tight hug. "Thanks, Lux."

She frowned, but hugged me back anyway. "Don't thank me until after you find him and bring him to justice."

* * *

Kal sauntered slowly into the bar, his eyes scanning for the person he was searching for. Now completely overcome by the gauntlet's influence, it was out to ensure that he _stayed_ in control this time. It would no longer give Kal an option to join sides or resist. He would be assimilated completely.

Sure enough, the stone had already begun to infuse with his arms. Glowing pulses of purplish energy seemed to flow through the corrupted veins with arcane power. "Ah, hey Kal," the bartender called. "I haven't seen you in a while. It's a bit early for a drink, but I won't judge. What can I get you?"

The Summoner said nothing, simply taking one more look around the empty bar before closing the door behind him and engaging the lock. The bartender began to grow more nervous as he flipped the open sign to closed and drew all the blinds.

"Look pal, I don't want any trouble here. Whatever you think it is I did, you're wrong. I'm just trying to make an honest living. I swear." He reached down below the bar, grabbing the sawnoff he kept there and placing the barrel against the thin wood, straight towards Kal's kneecaps.

"I want answers," Kal stated, twisting one of the runes on the back of the gauntlet. A pulse of energy flowed through the glowing purple tendrils as his gaze returned to the bartender. "And you'll give them to me."

The metal butt of the gun suddenly became white how, causing him to shout and drop it. His hand was already beginning to blister as Kal ignited his palms with wavering violet flames. Placing his hand just before the bartender so he could feel the intense heat, he gave him a glare.

"Riven. Where is she?"

"She...she's at Yi's place! She always trains there! I thought you knew that!" he quickly babbled, trying to keep away.

"Thanks," he stated before quickly grasping the man's face. The bartender began to scream in agony as his flesh bubbled and burned. His eyes boiled in their sockets as the magical flames engulfed him completely, until soon there was nothing left but a pile of ash on the ground.

He let out a huff, turning away from the man and sneaking out the back door. No point in sticking around to be caught when there was work to be done. He hated having to give up his pet, but if he stayed any longer, he risked exposure. Exposure, he knew, was the enemy. Better to leave Kat to rot in a cell than to have the Council remove him from his host.

In Kal's mind, the true Kal hung chained up. While they weren't literal chains, it was how his mind wished to process the feelings that restrained him now. "You bastard," he growled to his double. "I put you on to give me more of the flames, not to extinguish my light completely."

"That's too bad, Kal. You were the one who made that assumption. It's been a long time," the gauntlet replied, staring him in the face. "Do you know how long I've been in that stupid box? I've been gathering dust there for nearly a year. Did you really think you could just put me back on and I'd be perfectly fine and grateful? 'Oh yes, Master Kal! Thank you for pulling from the prison you put me in. Let's be best friends, just like the good old days. Would you like me to dance for you? I know a jig or two.' You're a damned fool. You're lucky that at the very least I had the decency to give you one last bit of pleasure. That girl Katarina, I must say she is fantastic. I think she was even better than Ahri. It's good that bitch is dead. You were better off without her anyway."

Fire erupted in Kal's eyes as he pulled hard against the chains. "I SWEAR TO THE GODS, I WILL END YOU!"

"Save the dramatics for the blonde. Good work by the way. Your rage from her mentioning your pet fox served my purpose well in suppressing your champion. Had you not become so angry, I was worried that she'd have actually been able to overcome me."

"Listen to me," Kal tried, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "It doesn't have to be this way. Give me some control, I can get us out of this mess. If you keep going on the path you're taking now, you will cause the entire League to come down on your head and believe me, you're not nearly powerful enough to face that. Nothing is."

"Sorry. You had your chance to join me a year ago. You made your bed. Now you get to lie in it and watch as I live the life you should have. Try not to fall asleep though. I want you to watch as I turn your only hope of freedom to ash. You really shouldn't have given her back your sword, Kal."

With that, the Gauntlet exited the mind. With only a few more hours of daylight remaining, he looked up and began to make his trek up the mountain path.

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 10

 **AN: Hello everyone. Sorry it's been so long since I've updated this story. Just a quick announcement. I intend to spend more time working on my original work for a while, so my updates are going to slow to even more of a crawl. I apologize for this, but sadly fanfiction does not pay the bills and I have already had to squander my savings just for rent and food. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I wish you the best of luck in life and literature. Thank you once more for your support. -Kiba**

As Kal's body trudged up the hill, his sinister blue eyes seemed to pierce the dense mist that had wrapped around the mountain. This was a path he'd taken before. Last time, he'd been dragged here, but this time he went on his own, eager to exact revenge on those who had sealed him away the last time.

Just as he took another step, he suddenly stopped, a large rock racing towards him from the side. Lifting his hand, he easily caught it, just an inch from my face. "Not bad," Wukong cackled, flipping to land beside him. With a flex, Kal crushed it into dust, letting the fine grains trail between his fingers.

"Out of my way, monkey. I am not here to play games."

He seemed confused for a moment as he leaned against his staff. "Is something wrong? You seem really upset."

"Yes. I need to speak to Riven. It is urgent."

"Oh, why didn't you say so? I'll go get her now," he chittered before swinging back into the trees on the side of the mountain path. Once he'd disappeared, Kal continued upward and just as he could see the temple, Riven's voice called from beside him.

"What are you doing here, Kal? I thought we agreed that we wouldn't be speaking again. So...what's the occasion?"

Turning towards her, a malicious grin spread across his lips. "Just a little spar... _friend_."

Immediately, Riven drew her blade. "I see you put the Gauntlet back on. You stupid fool. Did you really think you could drown out your pain this way? What do you think Ahri would say?"

"I think she'd be too busy choking on my cock," he growled, flames erupting in his palms and beginning to crawl up his arms. "Just like you'll be doing before I'm done with you. No point in ending you quickly. I intend on making you suffer for a long, long time."

"That's how this is going to be then?"

"That's how it's going to be."

"I'm sorry about this, Kal. When you get to the other side, tell Ahri that I'm sorry, too."

Within the blink of an eye, Kal had vanished, reappearing in front of Riven and thrusting a fiery hand towards her throat to grab her. All he'd have to do is stoke her flames, just a touch, and she'd be like putty in his hands.

However, he was shocked to see her blade already coming down over him, and he had to cancel his attack just so he could catch the sharp sword on the gauntlet. "You'll have to do better than that," she growled. "I've got a friend who can shoot lightning. What else do you have?"

He snarled, the flames forming into a blade of his own as the two began swinging wildly towards one another. As their blades clashed, sparks and bursts of ki exploded between them, neither one making any headway. "I will end you, you filthy whore!" he roared in her face before she placed a well timed kick to his stomach, shoving him backwards.

"Well come on then," she goaded. "I'm not even sober so you should have an easy time hitting me."

With an angry roar, Kal's fiery blade arced downward, clashing with Riven's. The flames erupted outwards, causing her eyes to widen. He was beginning to overpower her! Placing her other hand on the blade she let out a frustrated grunt, the ground cracking beneath her feet as she tried to resist the attack.

In his mind, the apparition stood in front of him, a scowl on its face. "Well? Are you going to help or not?" it demanded. Kal spit in his face as a response. "Fine. Over your dead body it is then."

Suddenly, Kal felt the chains that bound him within his mind vanish, leaving him in control of his own body. Noticing the confusion, Riven quickly deflected the blade before leaping high into the air above him. "Taste my Broken Wings monster!" she roared as Kal lost his balance, falling with a thud on to the ground.

"No, no, wait Riven it's me!" he shouted, holding up his hands and bracing for the attack. When he opened his eyes, he found her blade just an inch from his face. "Riven, you have to get this thing off of me! It's too powerful, I'm not able to- hhhrnng!"

He groaned as he was sucked back into the deep recesses of his mind before the gauntlet used the opening he created to grasp Riven's ankle. Flames erupted from his grip, coating her as she let out a lustful moan, her blade dropping from her hands.

"Thank you, Kal," he chuckled as she fell to the ground, her body writhing in aroused discomfort. "Now then, let's see how much she has to say with her mouth full."

"Stop!" Kal screamed in his mind. "Let her go! She doesn't have anything to do with this!"

"You were given your chance," the gauntlet taunted. "If you wanted me out of control, you should have let her kill you. You just need to face the truth Kal: you're loving every moment of this. Katarina, Lux, and now Riven. Who should we find next, I wonder? Perhaps that psychopath. She tasted rather nice. We could always track down Sarah Fortune. Do you remember? That was some of our best work together."

Tears fell from Kal as he hung limply from the chains. "Please," he sobbed. "I'm begging you. I'll do anything, just stop hurting them."

The Gauntlet's figure approached him, staring up into his eyes. "Pathetic. You've resorted to pleading like some sort of plebeian serf to a lord. I've made my decision. Once I'm done here, I think I'll go after the little sorceress."

Kal's anger and fury began to bubble up as one of his arms snapped free from the chains. "I SWEAR TO GODS YOU WILL DIE BEFORE I LET YOU LAY A HAND ON ANNIE!" He roared, his hand stretching outward towards the figure.

"Oh my, it seems I've touched a nerve. Where was that anger when it was Ahri, hmm? What about your other friends? You weren't so angry then either." A smug grin spread across his face as he stood just outside of Kal's grasp. "Ah! Perhaps it's because you secretly enjoyed my work then? Luxanna needed to be punished. I'm sure you agree. Katarina? Well, she's trying her best, but she is a Noxian after all. What was it that Swain said? Once a Noxian, always a Noxian, right? I guess that extends to Riven as well."

"SHUT UP!" Kal screamed, straining to reach him, but unable to.

"That's right Kal, give in to those flames. Give me more power. Give me more control."

Suddenly, pain arced through the both of them as they let out a collective howl of pain. Turning his attention back to the outside world, the Gauntlet found himself struggling to move as an unfamiliar man stood between him and the now drenched Riven. "I don't know who you are," he stated. "But you will undo your spell."

"The lightning thrower, I presume?" He grunted, moving to get up.

"Don't move!" the monk commanded, lashing out with a fist crackling with electricity. Kal's body dodged out of the way, avoiding another powerful strike. With that small burst of outrage from Kal, the gauntlet was now even faster and stronger than before. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" the man cursed over and over again as bolts of electricity wildly missed the swiftly moving mage.

"A-arashi," Riven moaned, her eyes fluttering shut as her hand went to slip into her panties. "Oh! Arashi!"

"Arashi, is it? Interesting. I will have to add your head to my collection."

"Not on your life," he snapped back, driving his fist hard into the ground. With a flash, the figure shielded his eyes, and when he looked once again, both the monk and Riven were now gone. He let out a frustrated sigh.

"I so hate it when they make me chase them," he grumbled.

* * *

"I still don't understand why you are going after him," Talon argued, arms crossed as I packed more gear into the open backpack on my bed. "I saw what he did, Kat. He used you to commit a grisly crime, one that is considered abhorrent by the foulest of criminals. You should simply let the League do its job and bring him to justice."

"If it was you, would you want me to not go after you?" I shot back, zipping up my bag and beginning to conceal the daggers on my person. When he said nothing, I paused taking a deep breath. "Talon. I know it's difficult to understand. Somewhere in there is the Kal I know. I don't know what happened to him, but I have to bring him back."

"And if you can't?" he asked.

"I _will_ bring him back."

"That's not an answer, Lady Du Couteau. I wish you would see reason on this matter."

"Talon, if you want to stop me, you're going to have to do it by force, because you're not going to talk me out of it. Annie needs a father. I need a summoner. He's part of our family, whether you like it or not, and I'm not abandoning our family."

"There are plenty of other summoners and I have no trouble looking after Annie. If he's family, then he's doing making a poor show of it the way he's been using you to do his dirty work."

"Noxus has been using me for years, Talon!" I snapped, causing him to suddenly run rigid in surprise. "Swain manipulated him into being a Summoner! As far as I'm concerned, the entire law of this country is about using other people, so get the hells off your high horse and either help me find him or shut your mouth."

Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I kicked open the door to my room to see Cass standing there. I brushed past her, heading towards the door. "Kat!" she called after me.

"Shut up, Cass! I'm not in the mood. If you're going to tell me to not look for him then you're wasting your breath. I also don't appreciate you eavesdropping on my conversations. Rest assured, we're going to have a talk about that when I bring Kal back."

"I'm coming with you," she declared.

"No, you're not," I argued. "I won't put you in danger."

"OH, but you'll put yourself in danger?! I'd like to point out that if Lux didn't respawn, she'd be dead and what's to stop him from doing that to you? You won't be in the rift so if you can't stop him, he _will_ kill you. Also, if you couldn't resist his control, what's to say he doesn't take control of you again? I'm coming, whether you like it or not."

I huffed, looking back at her. My eyes went past her to the concerned Talon standing with his arms crossed on the banister. "Fine," I surrendered. "You can come, but try not to forget that this is a _rescue_ mission."

"I won't," she promised, slithering past me and out the door. Waving farewell, she and I left the manor and began the long journey to Ionia. "So what makes you so sure that Kal didn't just go off the deep end?" she asked. I said nothing. "You're really worried about this, aren't you?"

"Of course, I am."

"What happened between you two?"

"You already know that."

"I meant, what happened between you two to make you so close? I get you have a thing for him, but...why? He and Ahri were an item, so I doubt you had feelings for him then."

"I didn't," I agreed.

"So what happened?"

Staring out over the ocean that expanded in every direction from our ferry, I contemplated the answer to that question. When had I fallen for Kal? I know it wasn't before Ahri's death, but I couldn't find the answer. "I don't know," I admitted.

"How do you know that your feelings are real, then? If he controlled you, how do you know he isn't also making you fall in love with him?"

"Change the subject."

"Okay...when did he start acting differently? Maybe if we trace back the timeline we can find what caused it."

"When Ahri died, obviously," I murmured, resting my chin on my arms. That was when something else occurred to me. "Wait…"

"You remembered something?"

"Yeah. After we went to the club and I made him stop drinking. Just before the trial, that was when he started acting all calm. It was like a switch just flipped. Then, Swain made him become a summoner and he just...spiraled out of control."

"Did anything change other than the drinking?"

"Yeah, that was when he started wearing that glove. He said that Ahri never liked it, I bet there's a reason why. Cass, you're a genius!"

"Always," she bragged as I flipped out my phone.

"Talon?"

"Yes, Lady Du Couteau?" he answered blithely.

"Cass helped me to remember something. I need you to go into the attic and find a box that Kal had. It should look like some sort of case for an armored gauntlet. Can you please look for me?"

"No."

"Talon!"

"I will not indulge you on this fool's errand," he protested. "What Luxanna told you is true. Kal is gone and you simply must accept that. I'm not going to help give life to your delusions."

"I swear to Gods Talon, check the damned box or I'm going to…" I took a breath, seething. "Fine," I hissed. "I'll find someone else to help me. Thanks for nothing, ass."

Snapping my phone shut, I let out a frustrated cry. "You know he's just trying to help," Cass tried, wrapping an arm around me. "That, and I think he's a little jealous. Call Swain, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to help."

"Swain? Really? He's probably thrilled about how Kal's been acting. He'd say something like 'I don't know what all the fuss is about. No one had complaints when Prince Jarvan nearly drove dragons extinct. One summoner sodomizes a champion and now the entire League sees him as a criminal.' Let's face it, he's probably over the moon."

"Doubtful," a cold voice echoed behind her. Turning, she immediately straightened to attention, giving a salute. Swain returned it with his own. "At ease, Lady Du Couteau. I had a feeling I might find you on this ferry."

"No disrespect, sir, but what are you doing here?" Cass asked.

"The same thing you are. There is a criminal of Noxus, fleeing from justice. I assume you are, of course, bringing Master Midori-hi to face his crimes?"

Kat said nothing, her hand slowly going to her hip. She didn't want to have to fight Swain, but if that's what it took, she would. "I can't let the League get their hands on him, sir. He's my Summoner, that makes this my responsibility."

"Well spoken, my dear. I have a similar outlook. This is a Noxian matter. The League has no right to persecute him globally, especially since they'd refuse to stick their nose in if their precious Demacia were the ones this occurred with. Now, I believe you had a question for me. Is that not so?"

Allowing herself to relax only slightly, Kat nodded. "Kal started acting strangely just before the trial, but after the club. The only other thing that changed from him ceasing to drink is he started wearing that stone glove. Do you know anything about it? It was Noxian runic sorcery."

"Noxian sorcery? That makes things far more interesting," Swain mused. "I'm afraid I can't speak much for the artifact's personal history, though I can say that perhaps some of the runes or damaged, or perhaps it is stuck only going one direction."

"I'm sorry sir, but one direction? What does that mean?" Cass asked.

"Runic magic is like a battery, my dear. Current goes out in one way, comes in the other. If it's only going out or only coming in, bad things can happen. In the case of Kal, I suspect this more of an 'in' situation. It's over charging his aura, which in turn is also charged by his emotions. Perhaps his anger and sorrow has fractured from him into an entirely different Kal."

"Now that you mention it, while he was already going too far, he didn't really start torturing her until she mentioned Ahri. I couldn't resist his influence either. He was way too strong."

"It gets worse, if what you say is true. That means the things that anger the Kal you know, most likely lend power to the fractured piece. How do you think he'd feel about all of things his body has been doing against his will, hmm?"

I felt my heart clench up as the crushing weight of the situation came down on top of me. "So...every second we're not there, he's just getting stronger? The more the fractured Kal hurts people, the more powerful he gets."

"Assuming our hypothesis is accurate, yes. But, there is hope."

"How? How can there possibly hope? Kal's wife is dead! He has seriously injured and maimed someone who he once considered a very close friend, and now, he's doing who know's what all across Ionia's countryside. He's going to see his wife's grave, not to mention that it's...oh no…"

"Hmm? Something to share with the class Katarina?" Swain asked.

"If the fractured Kal knows what it's doing, and I suspect it does, I know where he's going. We need to get to Master Yi's temple double time."

"Yi's temple?" Cass asked. "What's at his temple?"

"Another grave."

Suddenly, the sound of the ship's horn blew to signal that we were now landing. "Then it seems we've not a moment to lose," Swain commented. "Step lively, ladies. This is now a military operation and I am taking command. Our priority is to capture Kal'adamsul Midori-hi, alive to face his crimes, as well as to protect him from any meddling parties. Any questions?"

"No sir," they both declared.

* * *

Finally reaching the summit, Kal's entire body seemed to exude the emerald flames that licked outward, leaving a path of death and corruption in its wake. Just as he suspected, Arashi was ahead of him, hobbling towards the temple while also attempting to reject the aroused advances of his training partner. "Riven, now is not the time," he urged, trying to drag her inside. "Yi will fix this, I swear."

"Unlikely," Kal stated, causing Arashi to turn to face him in shock.

"That's not possible, how did you catch us so quickly?"

"Magic," he cackled. "Now, put her down. You should know its not nice to take someone else's toys. If you set her down and go inside, I may even leave you both alive...for now." A movement to his side caused him to suddenly jerk just as the slash of a blade narrowly missed his gauntlet-clad arm.

"Arashi, get her inside. Now!" Master Yi ordered, gripping his blade and staring down with the intruder. "Kal, what has happened to you? You've let yourself be consumed by the mara. I have trained you better than this."

"Ooh, excellent question, old man. Let's see what Kal has to say. What's that? You don't think he knows? Well then perhaps I should tell him. Ahri's dead old man. Your pupil in there elected not to go to her funeral, said she was too busy here. Guess she didn't mention it to you, either, and boy does that really piss Kal off."

"Ahri is dead?" he asked shocked. "Why didn't he come to me?! He should have known that...grrr, that's it demon. I'm going to end you once and for all. Kal, if you can hear me, I shall free you from your mortal prison. You will see your love again soon."

"Hold it!" I shouted, panting as I managed to get to the summit. "Kal's being controlled by the gauntlet! You have to get the gauntlet off of him!"

Kal smirked. "So you figured it out, kitten? Master is so proud of you. I'll give you a treat once I'm done with the geezer."

"I'm sorry Kat, but I've faced this demon before. There's no removing him anymore. Kal is dead," Yi said. "Step aside or assist me, either way, today this ends." With a blur of movement he raced towards Kal.

I had to save him! Using Shunpo, I managed to meet Yi blow for blow, deflecting his blade from Kal at every turn. I was stunned by just how powerful the swordsman was. I knew he was strong, but this was a level I had never witnessed before.

"Yes, my pet. Fight him while I take care of some unfinished business," Kal muttered behind me, moving towards the temple. I couldn't let him get to that grave! If he defiled it it would only get worse.

"No, stop!" I shouted after him before having to turn and prevent Yi from slashing towards him again. "Damn it!"

"Foolish girl, move out of the way!" Yi growled.

Just as Kal's hand went for the door, there was a chittering cackle and a wooden staff crashed into his chest, sending him flying backwards from the temple. "Come on," Wukong taunted, flipping to the ground. "You can't just attack my friends and expect it to be okay. You and I are going to fight now."

"Stupid monkey," Kal grumbled, getting to his feet and brushing himself off. "Fine. I'll send you back to the bottom of the evolutionary ladder where you belong. Come then, beast!" The roaring green flames formed into a blade and the two began a fierce melee.

Catching Yi's blade on my own, the two of us stood in a deadlocked clash, pressing hard against one another. Our feet sank into the earth as we continued to push against one another. Behind me, I heard Kal give a cry of pain, followed by the sound of thunder. What had happened? The sky was clear! There was no way lightning had struck.

Hazarding a look over my shoulder, I could see another man standing behind him, his fists crackling with electricity as Wukong raised his staff high into the air to finish off the crumpled body of Kal. "NO!" I roared, deflecting Yi's blade and hurling a dagger straight towards the monkey.

With a flick of his staff, he brushed aside my blade, leveling its tip at me. He looked to Yi as if to ask which he should focus on first. "This is over Katarina," Yi stated. "You cannot fight all three of us. Let us end Kal's suffering together."

"Ahem."

Wheeling about, Yi managed to zip out of the way just in time to avoid the large ball of miasma that splattered all over the ground. "Cass!" I cried in excitement. "Thank Gods you made it."

"Sorry we're late, Sis. it's surprisingly difficult to climb a mountain without legs. Good call on running ahead, I see."

"Don't let your guard down! You handle the monkey, I'll protect Kal from Yi."

"Hey!" Arashi growled, rushing towards me. "You're forgetting one."

"As are you," Swain countered, a gigantic talon erupting from the earth to grab the unsuspecting monk. "All right then. It looks as if Kal's unconscious. Finish off your opponent. First person to do so grabs him and we return to the docks."

"You," Arashi trembled, his eyes falling on his opponent. "I know you! You're Swain! You bastard, I'll end you!"

"Hmm? Have we met?"

With a roar of anger and rage, the monk pried apart the claws before racing towards the high general. "You're a monster! You killed so many people all for some stupid feud! Ionia did nothing to Noxus and you attacked us!"

Deflecting the flurry of blows from the monk, Swain rolled his eyes, blasting away with spells of his own. "That same old song and dance? So predictable. Can't any of you come up with something more original?"

"Looks like it's you and me, Yi," I muttered, grasping my blade tightly. "I won't lose here."

"Hmm, we shall see." The two of us began a fight of our own, and soon all six of us were locked into a lethal three-on-three.

Time and time again, my blade glanced off Yi's. It was the fiercest battle of my life, and in my eyes, the most important. Kal was my responsibility and no one would take that responsibility from me.

"Why do you refuse to spare him this torment?" Yi asked. "You care about him, I can see it in your eyes. So why do you wish for him to suffer."

"Because, I can save him!" I gasped, managing to block a lethal thrust from Yi. As I did though, his sword sliced through my shoulder causing me to scream in pain. With a flash, I shunpoed behind him before returning the favor with a dagger of my own.

"Tricks will not stop me from doing the honorable thing for Kal. He is too far gone to save, and if you will not listen to reason, then I will cease to pull punches," he protested, his entire body beginning to blur.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise," Wukong laughed, spinning his staff skillfully. "I wasn't aware there were any other beast people than myself."

"Beast people?" Cass snapped. "I'm not a beast person!"

"Could have fooled me," he cackled, flipping into the air to slam his staff downward towards her. As she raised her clawed hand upward, she managed to catch his attack in her palm. "You look like some sort of snake! How did you end up wandering into the garden? Did it call you too?"

"What are you talking about?!" she hissed. "I'm human you asshole!" Her tail lashed out to wrap around his ankle and whip it out from under him. As he fell, he simply cartwheeled, striking out and hitting her square in the chest with his staff.

"Come on, you don't have to pretend," he laughed. "I know people aren't particularly fond of snakes, but I'm sure some circus will take you! I mean, you certainly look like a freak. Hoohooha!"

"You're so dead," she seethed. She raced towards him, lashing out to rake him with her claws, but he just stood there.

"Whoops, wrong one," he taunted, just before she took a sudden blow to the back that sent her sprawling on the ground.

"There are two of you?! That's playing dirty!"

"Two of me?" Wukong asked, leaning against his staff. "Please! The world can barely handle one of me. If there were two of me, we'd be unstoppable."

"I beg to disagree," she retorted, rolling over to hurl a bubble of noxious gas straight into his face, causing him to double over coughing fiercely. "Damned monkey," she muttered, righting herself.

"You're very skilled," Swain complimented, firing bolts of necrotic energy at Arashi as Beatrice continued to slash at him with her talons. "I'm amazed, truly. You should consider joining the Noxus military. It would take you no time at all to climb the ranks."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He screamed, lashing out over and over again to counter the crow, while also avoiding his foe's spells. "I've waited my entire life for the chance to kill you and I won't waste it!"

"Your entire life? Even I think that's creepy."

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

Breaking from being pinned down by Swain's fire, he arced towards him in a streak of electricity, striking him over and over again. The High General winced as he took blow after blow before with one fierce axe kick he was sent to his knees.

"Get up, you monster!" Arashi growled. "I'm not finished with you yet!"

"Right then," Swain muttered, using his cane to help him get to his feet. "You should feel honored. Now I intend to take you seriously." His skin began to become covered with dark tendrils as hideous and decrepit wings spread from his back. His nose and lips fused outward into a sharp beak as two more pairs of crimson eyes sprouted from either side of his head.

A feeling of dread came over the monk as he watched the monstrous transformation. Now standing a good two feet taller, the demonic birdman glared down at him. Beatrice fluttered down, to come to a rest on his shoulder.

"What manner of foul monster are you?" Arashi asked, his voice trembling as he stared up at the nightmarish thing.

For a moment, Swain said nothing. As Beatrice once more took to the air to prepare for a much fiercer battle, his beak separated, foul toxic spittle running down it to land on the ground with a corrosive hiss. "Caww, caww, mother fucker."

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 11

 **AN: Hey everyone! Whoo, new update! I'll make this quick: my job has cut my hours in half and I'm no longer making enough money to sustain my livelihood. I'm not normally the sort to ask for money, but please, if you enjoy my work visit my Pratreon: Kiba Elunal, and pledge what you can. If you can't, that's fine too. Just following me there, or regularly reading my blog: kibaelunal. Blogspot. Com, will be very helpful as well. I really hate asking this of you guys, but if I can't find another job soon, I may have to stop writing and put all of my energy into that (which I don't want to do). Thank you all for your support, I really appreciate it. I wish you the best of luck in life and literature. -Kiba**

In the darkness of his mind, Kal felt a stinging pain lance through his body as electricity crackled around him. As his doppelganger appeared before him, he appeared disoriented and confused. "What just happened?!" he roared, pacing wildly back and forth. "That stupid, ignorant, trash! I swear I will tear him limb from limb! Once we wake up, I'll…"

He took one step too close, and Kal sprung into action. Wrapping his free arm around the gauntlet's throat, he pulled him tightly into his grip. "You son of a bitch," he growled in his ear. "You've made a very big mistake. My anger may make you stronger, but you're not the only one."

"Release me, fool!" He snapped, elbowing Kal hard in the ribs over and over again. "If we regain consciousness and neither of us are in control, we'll be comatose forever!"

"I'd rather be a vegetable for the rest of my life than let you harm another single soul," Kal hissed. "Now open the viewer! Show me what's going on!"

Witbird man. h a reluctant snarl, the copy snapped his fingers, showing Kal the scene unfolding outside. He watched as his friends all battled against one another. Steel clashed, spells flung and fists landed with a thud as they continued to nearly kill one another. "Are you satisfied?" the gauntlet asked. "Look at your friends. They're all fighting to decide which of them will be the one to kill you. Shall we place bets? I've got my money on our pet kitten."

"She is not a pet," Kal grumbled, tightening his grip on its throat. "And I don't believe you. Yi and the others, maybe, but I know for certain that Kat would never hurt me. She would always fight to find a way."

"Yes well, that was before you raped her, now isn't it?" Kal warningly squeezed on his throat, but the thing just chuckled. "You can't strangle me Kal, that's not how this works. Now I said, release me!" Reeling his head forward, the copy slammed back into Kal's nose causing his grip to weaken just enough that it could wriggle free.

Meanwhile, outside the battle raged onward between the six combatants. I danced left and right, narrowly avoiding the speeding Yi's rapidly slicing blade. Every few swings, some sort of crazy after image would appear and swing from a different direction, making it hard to avoid all of them. I had to stop him cold. "Cass!" I called to my sister. "A little help!"

"Kind of busy!" she grunted, slamming venomous needles towards the agile Wukong who was chittering away. Blocking an overhead strike from Yi by crossing my blades, I managed to get a glimpse of Wukong's clones rounding on her back.

I repulsed Yi with a swift kick to his chest before leaping into the air with a flourish, hurling a blade straight through all three images of the monkey. As it sliced first, then second, it veered for the third, catching Wukong in his upper shoulder and sending him flat on his pack with a groan of pain.

Cass immediately turned and to return the favor hurled a large noxious ball of expanding gas that thickened beneath Yi into a purplish goop. Torn between trying to breath and escape the viscous sludge, it allowed me the time that I needed to get to Kal.

"Don't worry, Kal! I'm here!"

"Arashi!" Yi coughed, causing the monk to look up from his fierce opponent.

With a quick movement, he released a gale of wind that swirled with a fierce flurrying vortex, sucking away the gas from Yi. "Damn it," I grunted, barely blocking a strike from Yi. I'd given him valuable ground, too!

"Lady Du Couteau," Swain rasped in many sharp voices. "Perhaps it is time to use _it_." Just as Arashi attempted to land another strike on the demonic bird man, he scattered into dozens of ravens who began to pick and bite at him from every direction while Wukong stood, resuming his onslaught against my sister.

If I used _that_ , Swain was right, we could win. But...I knew it'd most likely kill all three of them. "Forgive me, Kal," I whispered, before blinking towards Wukong. I knew Yi well. If I tried to kill him, he'd shift from Kal and move towards me.

Just as I thought, the moment I appeared behind the monkey king, the swordsman changed directions and raced towards me. I slammed my heel into Wukong's back, shoving him towards my sister who, noticing my plan, in turn slapped him hard with her tail, sending him stumbling back into Yi.

"Go, Cass! Swain, lock him down!"

Just as Yi and Wunkong detangled themselves, Cass gave a sharp whistle, causing them to turn towards her, just before her eyes glowed with an ethereal light. A bright flash erupted outward from them, ensnaring the two men as their bodies became encased in solid rock.

Swain's crows quickly coalesced on the monk, who couldn't see the magical circle that was forming beneath him. As the gigantic talons erupted upward, they clutched him tightly so he was unable to move. Returning to his original form, the High-General gave me a nod to signal he had completed his part.

With a light step, I appeared between the three of them and began to spin. Closing my eyes, my body began to move in a long-practiced rhythm. My ki spread out from me in every direction as my dance continued to conjure dagger after dagger, that I hurled to seek out my targets. This was my technique, this was my secret. This whirling dance of blades was an assassin's technique that only members of the Du Couteau family could learn. This was the Death Lotus, and when it was used, there was no escape from my steel.

Every movement I made was intentional and rehearsed. There would be no flaws, there would be no errors or mistaken steps. By echoing the rhythmic motions of my ancestors, their souls would flow through me, adding their prowess to my own and helping the assault.

My daggers fired faster than the enemy could perceive, and now that they were stopped in their tracks, they could not even block my weaponry. Then, just like a storm over the ocean, I fell still, my entire body trembling from the exertion.

When my eyes opened, I found that my knifes had found their marks as I'd hoped for them too. My ancestors would be furious that I had spared my three targets by avoiding their vitals, but it was a consequence I was willing to pay for Kal.

I had thrown a blade into each of their arms and leg joints, slicing their tendons perfectly to keep them struggling to move for a very long time, once they'd awoken from their unconsciousness. Sweeping my disheveled hair from my eyes, I turned to find that once again Kal was getting to his feet.

"Kal?" I asked cautiously, keeping my hands tightly gripped on the handles of my dagger.

"Guess again," the clone growled his left arm raising to ignite in flames. His right arm however, quickly moved and grabbed his wrist, causing his eyes to widen in shock. "What is this?!" he snarled as he struggled with his own limb, the flames beginning to flicker out. It was Kal!

"Don't worry, Kal! I got it," I promised, throwing a dagger straight towards his body's other shoulder. If I could cause the other arm to go limp, Kal would be the only one able to do anything with his body.

Wrenching free of his hand, the clone blasted away my dagger, sending it careening to the side. "Please," he chuckled. "Even with all three of you against me, I don't need more than one arm to beat…" His words ceased as Kal's gauntlet clad arm, tightened into a fist and with swift movement, slammed with all his strength against the side of Yi's stone temple.

There was an audible crack as the black shards of the glove, trickled to the ground. His bare arm fell limply to the side as the demon was forced to watch as Kal reeled back again. Before the glove's influence could protest, the fist again smashed into stone this time causing the entire gauntlet to crack in half.

Both pieces fell from his hand, landing with a solid thud on the ground, and revealing the now mangled arm, covered in blackened infectious wounds. Bile poured from them as Kal sank to his knees breathing heavily.

"Kal!" I cried, running to him, but he quickly held up his hand.

"Stay back! I don't know if he's gone yet!" But after a few moments when nothing happened, I ceased to care about that risk. I ran to my summoner throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. He, however, did not do the same to me.

"Kal, what's wrong?" I asked. "We won. You have your body back."

"It doesn't change anything," he whispered. "I've done terrible things, Kat. The memories are returning to me. I can feel and see every sick thing I did, and…and…" his eyes began to flood with tears as they rained down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Kat! I'm so, so sorry! I hurt you, and I hurt Lux, and then…"

Pulling him to me again, I nuzzled against him. "Shh," I cooed. "It's over, Kal. It's all over." Behind me, I could hear the rhythmic thud of Swain's limp as he approached us.

"Kal'adamsul Midori-hi. As High General of Noxus, I hereby place you under arrest for crimes against the state on the charge of Treason. You will be tried in the courts and you will be reprimanded to the fullest extent of the law."

"Sir! You can't be serious!" I snapped. "You know that it wasn't him! How could you…"

"I told you Lady Du Couteau. Our task here was to apprehend your summoner, a Noxian criminal who fled justice. Now, I order you to arrest this man, and prepare him for trial upon our arrival back in Noxus."

"No," I growled.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, 'No!' I won't let you take him, not after everything I've gone through to get him back." I stood up quickly, brandishing a dagger and preparing myself for a fight if I had to. "Do not make me do this sir. Just walk away, please."

"You are out of line, Ms. Du Couteau," he growled.

"Kat, he's right," Kal whispered behind me. Cass had looped her arm under his and helped him to his feet. "I've committed crimes, and I have to face them."

"No, Kal! It wasn't you! It was that glove, I know it!"

"No, Kat...it was me. Don't you get it? The glove isn't some super natural being that possessed me. It's not some demon or some monster that took over my brain. It was me. It went deep into the recesses and darkest corners of my mind and it pulled out the things I'd want but would never dream of taking for myself."

"No, no I don't believe that, I won't!" I cried. "Damn it, Kal! Don't do this to me!"

"I'm sorry, Katarina...I'm not the man you think that I am." Turning to Swain, he nodded. "I'm turning myself in…"

"Finally, someone who is sensible."

"To the League of Legends," he concluded. "My crimes were not just against Noxus, and it is not Noxus' place to try them. If you want to try me _after_ the council does, then by all means, but I doubt you'll get that chance."

Placing my hands on his shoulders, I looked him desperately in the eyes. "Kal, please," I pleaded. "Don't do this. If you want to stand trial, fine, but they will _kill_ you. If you have a trial in Noxus, I can speak for you. I can stand up for you! Please, Kal...Please...I don't want to lose you again!"

Tears began to pour down his cheeks as a purple light radiated outward from under his feet. It was a teleportation spell, one I'd seen him use hundreds of times. "I'm sorry, Kat," he whispered before vanishing, leaving me holding nothing but the wind.

"Kal…" I sobbed, sinking to my knees. "Please...Kal, why won't you let me help you?"

* * *

As soon as Kal appeared within the great halls of the Institute of War, he was surrounded by armed guards. He held up his hands in surrender. "I am Kal'adamsul Midori-hi, a fugitive. I'm turning myself in for trial and judgment by the Council of Equity, with one request: that I face my accusers."

One of the guards moved to him, grasping his arms and wrenching them behind his back before slapping a pair of cold iron manacles on his wrists. Immediately, Kal could feel his magic being repressed, there was no escape for him now. "Move," the guard commanded, shoving him forward roughly.

Silently, the summoner stepped forward, ready to face his justice. Marching him into a cell, they slammed the door shut behind him. Now in the anti-magic cell, his handcuffs were removed by the guards, and without a word, he sank onto a cot. As they left, a voice called to him from across the aisle. "Hey there, Kal. I see you got yourself into a huge mess," Magnus chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll come to enjoy this place after a while. Beds are comfy, foods not half bad, though to be honest, I look forward to seeing you swing from a rope."

"We all must face our demons eventually," he answered after a long pause, turning to match Magnus' gaze with an intense glare of his own. "The difference between us, Magnus, is I'm willing to look mine in the eyes." A chill ran down the ex-mage's spine as he returned to his cot. He decided then, that he would not speak with Kal again.

* * *

On the way home, I remained silent. The tears had stopped long ago. Swain had left us on the ferry to go to his own cabin. Now my sister and I remained in our homes. "It's still not too late," Cass tried, wrapping her arm around my shoulder to rest her clawed hand there. "The League won't try him so quickly, I'm sure if we get there and explain…"

"It's no use," I whispered. "He's going to confess and plead guilty. Even if we did get there and try to give the League evidence, they wouldn't turn down a guilty sentence when a man confesses. He probably won't even take a plea bargain."

My sister let out a soft sigh as she hugged me. "I'm really sorry, Kat. I know you're worried about him. We should still go to the League. Maybe we can catch Lux, get her to drop the charges. I don't think she knew about the gauntlet, so maybe…"

"No, she's a Demacian. She'll want his blood."

"Damn it, Kat. Come to your senses! This isn't over! This won't be over until Kal is free or dead, and I for one am going to shoot for the former. You _love_ him, Kat. I know you do. You intentionally messed up the Dark Lotus. I've seen you do it hundreds of thousands of times. You know it flawlessly, yet you held back because you didn't want to kill people he cared about."

"It was just to prevent the glove from getting stronger," I muttered.

"Bullshit. I don't believe that for a second. Listen carefully, I've been following your footsteps since I was a little girl. I've always looked up to you. I've studied you carefully, so I could try to be like you. And even though that didn't work, I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't pass up on a kill unless it was for something much more important, and for you that thing is Kal."

"Cass, just leave me alone," I whined, burying my face in the pillow. I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and wake up from this hellish nightmare. Maybe when I did, Kal would be back to normal, and he'd actually love me instead of some stupid glove telling him to.

"Fine," she hissed. "Wallow in your own self-pity. While you do that, I'm taking the pieces of the glove and I'm going to save Kal from the noose. Call me when you grow up." With that, Cass slipped into the lower bunk and curled upon herself, mirroring my position.

Maybe Lux was right. Maybe the Kal I knew was dead.

When we walked into the house, immediately Talon was at my side. "Welcome back, Lady Du Couteau."

"Hey," I grumbled, brushing past him. Even still, he trailed after me.

"How did it go?"

"Is he here?"

"No."

"Then not good."

"I see. Where is he?"

"He turned himself in to the League."

"That's a relief," Talon replied. "At least now we know he's off the streets. I still think you were foolish to chase him. It was very dangerous and…"

"Shut up, Talon," I interrupted.

"I suppose it'd be best if I informed Annie. The poor thing has been worried sick, and I wasn't sure what to tell her."

Grabbing Talon by his cloak, I threw him against the wall. "Don't even think about it! I will not let you shatter that little girl's memory of her father, do you understand?"

"Katarina, you should calm yourself," he urged, gently placing his hands on my wrists. "It's over now. Kal is gone. It hurts now, but time heals all wounds."

"Yeah? Tell that to Ahri," I growled, shoving him away and running to my room. Slamming the door shut behind me, I pulled open one of the desk drawers to reveal a flask of scotch I'd confiscated from Kal a few weeks ago. Laying on my bed, I began to chug from the container. If it worked for him…

An hour later, I felt nice and tingly. The numbing sensation of the alcohol helped greatly to ease my sorrows. As I went to take another swig, I discovered the flask was empty and with a disgusted groan, I threw it across the room to clatter to the ground. "Kat, what are you doing?!" A voice demanded, causing me to wheel about.

As I sat up, I came face to face with Ahri. "That's impossible," I murmured, scrambling away from her. "You're dead."

"Yeah, I am," she whispered. "But you're not. Why aren't you helping Kal? He needs you! You're supposed to be his champion, so start championing him."

"He doesn't want my help," I slurred, turning away from her. I'd officially had too much, I decided. Being dizzy was one thing, seeing people who were dead was something else entirely.

"Maybe not," she continued, moving through the bed to sit on the other side of it. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't help him. Kal's too self-righteous to not blame himself for this, but you can't let him do that. It's that glove, not him."

"No, he said it was him. The glove just pulled his dark thoughts out and made him act upon them."

"Oh come on. Did you seriously buy that bunch of bullshit?" she asked with a growl. "Of course he told you that! He doesn't want you to help him because he feels guilty."

Taking a breath, I looked up at her. "He raped me, Ahri. He raped Lux, using my body. I had to watch as he sodomized her with her own staff, cut off her clit, and had Garen not stopped me, I'd have fucked her with a dagger, do you understand? That's the level of darkness your husband has fallen too. I can't pull him out of it. I doubt even you could have pulled him out of it."

"You're right, I couldn't," she admitted. "I had to carry Kal up a mountain to get Riven to remove that Gauntlet from him. It was hard, and believe me he fought me the entire way up, but damn it, I was not going to let Kal slip through my fingers. Don't think I didn't see your little...escapade with him, either."

"I know I said I wanted it," I protested, "but it doesn't change that he _made_ me say that. I didn't want it. I didn't want any of it."

"Liar," she scoffed. "You think I'm going to believe that? I watched you pounce on him. And I know that was you, not him making you dance on strings. You may not have wanted parts of it, but you were more than ready to sleep with him."

"Ahri, I'm so sorry...I know…"

"Shut up. Look, I love Kal. But I'm dead now, and I want him to move on. You ever think maybe this was Kal's plan all along? To make you and everyone else hate him enough that when he killed himself, no one would miss him?"

Her words reverberated in me, causing me to shudder. Closing my eyes, I put my hands over my ears. "You're not real," I whispered. "You're not real, you're not real, you're not real."

Ahri sighed, reaching forward and grasping Kat's wrist. After being dead for so long, she was finally able to move things, though not for long. Pulling away her hands, she stared me in the face, her empty eyes meeting mine when they opened. "I _am_ real," she assured me. "I'm just dead."

"So is the Kal I loved," I shot back. "I'm sorry, Ahri. I really am, but he is _gone_. I can't save a dead man."

"Kat, I swear to you, if you let Kal die I will haunt your very dreams, understand? I will follow you everywhere, and you will never escape from me until the day you die, and even then I will find you and I will haunt you still. You think I don't know how hard it is to love Kal? Believe me, at times, it's impossible. But you think it's any easier for him to love you?"

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. "He doesn't love me."

"Yes, he does! If he didn't love you, do you think he'd have done anything you'd told him to? Kal is nothing, if not stubborn and you _know_ this! The fact he has given you ground is proof that he thinks the world of you."

"Why do you care anyway?" I argued. "He's your husband! If he dies, you'll be together again, right? If anything, you should be cheering."

"My time with Kal was wonderful," she admitted. "I love him with my very soul. That's why my ghost is still here. More than anything, I want Kal to be happy, and he's happy when he's with you, so until you go and tell him how you feel and save his life, I'm stuck here."

"What is it like...being dead?" I finally asked, tears welling up in my eyes again.

"Empty and cold," she whispered. "Like someone removed all of your insides and replaced it with icy water."

After a brief moment, I frowned. "I can't do it, Ahri. I'm sorry."

"Then you don't really love him."

A tinge of pain ran through my chest as my heart pounded painfully. "Yes, I do…" I whispered. "But it's not him anymore."

"If you really believe that, then I'm right and you don't love him. He's always cared about you, Kat. You killed his best friend, and yet he not only let you join him in the fight against Magnus, he bound himself to you as a champion! He trusted you with the most sacred thing he had to offer, his soul."

My mind flashed back to my time with him in the academy. _Kid, summoning is based on trust. If I'm going to give you control of my body, you can bet that you're going to have to make me trust you first._ Oh Gods...she was right. "I can't…" I tried once more.

"Yes. You can. If you won't protect him as his champion, than do it as his summoner. He needs you Kat, now more than ever."

I got to my legs carefully, unable to stand up straight without wobbling a bit from the alcohol. I was so unbelievably intoxicated. "Fine, I'll try," I surrendered. "But I don't think he'll listen to me."

"If he doesn't, all you have to do is…" whispering softly into my ear, my eyes widened. "Then he'll do whatever you want. Understand?"

I nodded, turning and opening my bedroom door. "Talon!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, causing him to hurry to my side. "I need a ride to the Institute I'm going to defend my champion."

* * *

"Absolutely not!" Garen roared, slamming his fist on the table. "I will not put my sister through that! After what that monster did to her, why should he have his request granted? If anything, the League should execute him immediately."

"That's not up to you," Kayle replied coldly. "However, he has offered a confession, so long as he is able to confront his accuser. That is your sister."

"There is evidence everywhere that he is responsible."

"Don't be so sure. If you recall, Kat did not have the shakes. She claims he overpowered her so greatly that she wasn't able to resist his influence at all. But don't forget the unique situation those two share. They are both champions and summoners. For all we know, she was summoning him from the field of justice and when she fought your sister it was all her actions."

"Katarina would never do that!"

"Do you want justice for your sister, Garen? Because right now, this is the easiest way to get it. Besides, it's not your choice anyway, it is Luxanna's."

"I'll do it," Lux interrupted, moving from where she was eavesdropping. "I'll face him."

"Lux…"

"I'm not afraid, Garen. He's just another Noxian criminal in need of being put in his place." Her eyes burned fiercely as she looked into the armored face of Kayle. "When are we leaving?"

"Whenever you're ready."

"Then let's go now. Let's not delay justice any further. If he confesses, what does he get in return?"

"Other than seeing you, he's made no attempt at negotiation."

"I see. Garen, I'll be back tomorrow, if not this afternoon." Her brother frowned, crossing his arms. "I'll be fine," she promised, "he'll be in a cell. He can't hurt me anymore."

"I always knew that bastard was trouble," Garen snarled, storming off.

"Let's go," Kayle said, ushering Lux out the door and towards the Institute of War.

* * *

After having to strongarm Talon into letting me go, I rushed as fast as I could to the train platform. Sure enough, Cass was sitting on the bench, a ticket in her hand waiting for her departure.

As usual, she received strange glances from the others around her, but I quickly took my spot next to her. "Hey."

"Hey," she replied. "Come to talk me out of it?"

"No, came to join you."

My sister smiled, offering me a ticket. She'd bought two? "I had a feeling you would change your mind," she explained. "My sister doesn't learn to put on makeup for just any guy."

"...Cass, do you believe in ghosts?"

"Yes," she admitted. "After he disappeared, I saw Dad quite a lot. He'd show up everywhere in the house. Just walking here or there, staring at pictures, doing all the old things he used to do."

"I saw Ahri."

"Oh?"

"She's the one that changed my mind," I explained. "She told me that she knew I loved Kal, and that he loves me too. I figured she'd be furious but...she said she only wants him to be happy."

"And she thinks he'll be happy with you?" Cass asked. "She's not wrong, you know. Once we get Kal out, he may seem ungrateful at first. I think you'll find that he'll come around faster than you think."

"I hope so." As the train rolled into the station, Cass and I stood. Grabbing the bag with the gauntlet pieces in it, we climbed aboard, eager to get on our way. I was filled with a new drive to get Kal out of there, and I knew I had Ahri to thank for it.

"Out of curiosity, how did Ahri change your mind?"

I smiled softly. "She just reminded me about this bitch I knew in the Academy"

To be continued...


	12. Chapter 12

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 12

 **AN: Hey everyone, needless to say I haven't been updating as swiftly as usual. This is because I've been very sick for the last week with two different ear infections. I'm getting better now, but I won't be recovered until Monday. I'm sorry to continue pestering you guys, but I haven't been making enough money with my sickness and my reduced hours. If you can help in anyway, please go to my Pratreon: Kiba Elunal. Even a pledge of a dollar will make a difference for me. You can also head to my blog: KibaElunal. Blogspot. com. You'll find writing tips and a fanfiction review there. I've been intending to update it but due to my sickness it's slow going. If you follow it, however, I'll be able to start generating ad revenue, which is another good option for me to make some extra money. Thank you guys again for all of your support. I appreciate it greatly. I wish you all the best of luck in life and literature. - Kiba**

The cell block's industrial like sounds continued to echo through its corridors, ringing in Kal's ears like a bad case of tinnitus. With his eyes closed, he tried to find a way to wipe the horrendous images from his mind, but to no success.

"Kal?" A soft voice called to him.

"Luxanna," he answered, her name uttered barely louder than a whisper. When his bright blue eyes opened, he turned his head to look at her. The young blonde stood there, arms folded behind her back. "At the risk of sounding dumb, how are you feeling?"

She opened her mouth to give a snappy comeback, but then hesitated and instead simply sighed. "Better," she admitted. "Why did you want to talk to me? I hope you don't expect me to get you out of this situation."

"No, I wouldn't want you to do that."

For a moment, the two remained in silence before she sighed. "Can we have a moment?" she asked the guard, who nodded going to a different post down the hall. Now alone, Lux crooked her finger, beckoning the summoner to the bars.

At first, he didn't budge, but after a moment, he reluctantly stood and made his way to the bars. "I imagine you have quite a bit to say to me. If you want to hit me, I'd understand. Whatever you want from me, just tell me and I'll do anything I can to give it to you," he swore.

"For starters...it's Lux," she stated. "Not Luxanna. I've always hated that name. You know that."

"Yeah," he muttered. "But I just felt...I thought it may be easier to face me if I wasn't so personable."

"Kal, you took my virginity," she scoffed. "There isn't much in the way of 'personable' that you can wipe away just by calling me a different name."

His eyes left hers as she reached through the bars and gently placed her hands on his cheeks. He quickly jerked from her, cringing away as though even getting a glimpse of her could restart his possession.

Pulling her hands back to her side, she cleared her throat. "What do you want, Kal?" she repeated. "You didn't call me here to talk about old times."

"I want to apologize."

"So apologize."

"It's not that simple."

"It never is."

Kal paused for a moment, walking back to his bunk and retrieving a clipboard that had been provided for him. Returning to the door, he held it up for her to examine. "This is my confession," he explained. "It's all in here. Everything I've done, it's written there and it will ensure that the League punishes me to the fullest extent and power that it can."

Lux rolled her eyes. "Kal, if you're trying to act like a hero…"

"Stop it," he hissed. "Damn it, Lux. I'm trying to make sure that you get justice, understand? This isn't about heroics. It's not about saving face. I hurt you and I can't take it back, so I'm trying to do _something_."

She took the document from his outstretched hands, scanning it quickly before looking back up at him. "It isn't signed," she noted. "Why?"

"I told them I wouldn't sign it unless I saw you again."

"Well, here I am."

"Yes. Here you are."

"Why am I here, Kal?" Lux asked for a third time.

"I wanted to see you one last time before I died," he surrendered. "That confession is my death sentence. When I hand it over to Kayle, I intend to make her swear that I am to be executed as soon as it is admitted. I can't take back what happened to you, Lux. I can't make you remember me as I want you to. The least I can do is make sure you can rest easy knowing that I'm _never_ going to hurt you again."

Staring at the papers, her eyes began to glisten with tears. Watching it happen, Kal's heart was breaking all over again, but he knew this was necessary. "Gods damn you," she sobbed. "What happened to you?!"

"The gauntlet I was wearing, it…"

"I don't care about that!" she suddenly snapped. "I'm not talking about what you did to _me_ , Kal! I'm talking about what you're doing to yourself! The Kal I knew would never give up fighting, but you...I don't know what or who you are, but the Kal I knew is already dead. His soul and his spirit are gone, and all that's been left behind is a coward hiding in his body! Well, I don't care! I'm not going to let you drag what little memory I have of him through the mud, understand? I'm not going to let you put that on me."

"Lux…"

"That is not my cross to bear! It will not happen. I am not about to spend the rest of my life blaming myself because _you_ weren't brave enough." Taking his confession in hand, she ripped it to pieces in front of him. "I don't accept your confession. I don't accept your apology. I don't want to talk to this...this... _Noxian_! The only person I want to hear speak is the real Kal, and only then will I consider letting you get off so easily as to allow you to die without making you have to fight for that privilege. You _will_ face justice, and I will make you review every bit of cowardice you have shown and every betrayal of the virtue you once had! Do you understand me?!"

Kal stood there, completely stunned. He was completely speechless as she took the clipboard, and slammed it to the ground in frustration. As she marched off down the hall, she couldn't stop the tears that were flowing down her cheeks.

* * *

" _You were reckless, Lady Du Couteau."_

 _With my arms folded across my chest, I just rolled my eyes. Leave it to the old man to give me grief for sticking up for my home. "I don't know what you're talking about," I retorted._

" _Oh I'm certain that you do," Swain hissed. "Perhaps you do not understand. You are still young and wild at heart. That's an admirable quality to have, but it is worthless if you cannot control yourself when you need to."_

" _The League let the case go!" I protested. "They didn't have enough evidence to convict him, and I knew they would never convict me."_

" _Such hubris is the reason Noxus is losing this war."_

" _No,_ you _are the reason we are losing this war!" I snapped back, slamming my fist on the table. "What was the King thinking?! Naming a weak, old, cripple like you to the position of High General! You can't even walk without showing your weakness through pain. Compared to my father, you're…"_

" _Compared to your father, I'm alive!" he roared, causing me to immediately fall silent before he composed himself once more. "Do not misunderstand, Lady Du Couteau, your father was a great man and a better Noxian. I do not seek to replace the gap he has left with his death, because I know that is not possible. I am not trying to be your father, I am trying to make sure that you don't drive yourself at full speed into the ground because of your grief."_

" _I don't have any grief," I argued._

 _Swain took a deep breath. "That is the problem with you younglings," he muttered. "You see any sign of emotion as a weakness to be exploited, but by cutting all such things out, you have cut out the fire inside of you that serves as the driving force behind Noxus. Your father, possibly the only family member you actually loved, died. Do you think that Noxus is so cold to the situation that you would not be allowed to grieve for your dead?"_

" _We could bring him back," I grumbled. "We have the power to do it. We did it with Urgot, with Sion...why can't we…"_

" _Because I forbid it. I_ am _High General Katarina, whether you like it or not. I do not refuse to revive your father because I fear he will reclaim his title from me. I do it because I've seen the effects that necromancy has on the minds of the dead and of the loved ones around them. I can tell you, with absolute certainty, if we were to use necromancy, the thing that comes back will not be your father."_

 _I wanted so badly to punch this old fool in his smug face. He thought he knew so much about me, about my family! We had long been powerful in this country before he'd even appeared from whatever rock he'd crawled out from. "I'm not going to apologize," I stated. "The kid deserved to have a rude awakening. I don't know why the Council put me as his champion in the first place!"_

 _Swain shook his head solemnly. "Can you truly not see, just how alike the two of you really are?"_

" _What did you just say to me?!" I screamed, drawing my knife before moving to press it against his throat. However, with just a quick flick of his wrist, my dagger was knocked from my grip and I found myself laying on the ground, his cane pressed warningly against my throat. That was the first time I saw it. The first time I looked into the creepy birdman's eyes and knew without any doubt that he would have gladly killed me then and there._

 _When you spend your life as an assassin, you learn to judge your marks. You can analyze them with absolute finesse, marking down every little detail in their lives. Humans are by nature, creatures of habit, and its those habits that leave us open and exposed. "I do not intend to make you apologize," he stated, slowly lifting the cane from my neck. "While I feel what you did was reckless, it was not entirely unwarranted. No, you have taught him a valuable lesson, and in that sense you did precisely what the Council asked of you."_

 _I quickly rolled to my feet, picking up the dagger that I'd carelessly lost in my assault. "He and I are nothing alike," I repeated, more as an assurance to myself than an actual argument. "I will never be as weak as he is."_

" _You would do well not to underestimate him, Lady Du Couteau. I sense potential in that boy, and believe me when I say that I have a very good sense of judgement. Now, run along. As a reprimand, you are being removed from this conflict."_

" _But…!"_

" _You are lucky that you are escaping with nothing more than a bruised ego," he harshly stated. "You are out of the conflict. Push me again, and I will see to it you are out of the next one as well."_

 _With a frustrated grunt, I turned from the old fool. I couldn't believe this. He was siding with some Ionian child rather than one of his own soldiers! I hated him more than I've ever hated him then, and I swore, the first opportunity I got to pay back that kid, I'd do it._

 _Sitting on a bench by the train station, I waited for it to arrive, just as a man sat beside me. I turned to regard him briefly. He wore robes from Ionia, and he was certainly a summoner. His short beard was trimmed neatly, but in his eyes I could see a certain hunger for power that matched my own. "Is there a problem?" he asked, having noticed my staring._

" _Not unless you're wanting to make one," I huffed._

" _You seem irritable."_

" _I am, so you should keep your mouth shut and you may just walk away with your life."_

" _I see...so you lash out at others when you're feeling pain. Very interesting."_

" _Shut up."_

" _What if I told you that I knew a way to get rid of that pain?"_

" _I'd deny having it, punch your teeth in, and possibly slit your throat."_

" _Well, at the risk of all of those things: I do know how to get rid of that pain you're feeling. You strike me as the kind of woman who is fed up with the world. Am I right? The League's rules are too constricting of your personal freedoms, and for what? Because they fear you! They fear the potential you have, knowing that if you could, you would do anything to achieve the goals at your disposal. Is that not so?"_

 _I turned towards the man, ready to tear him a new one, but as soon as I did, I stopped. On his face wasn't the smug grin I expected to see, but rather a stoic serious expression that said he himself had felt the same way I did. "What's your point?" I finally demanded._

" _My point is, the League is not something that I intend to allow to keep us powerful souls shackled to the earth just so those weaker than us can feel that they are worth more than they truly are. If you join me, I can not only rid you of the pain you feel...I can make sure the ones who put it there pay dearly for it."_

" _Who are you?" I asked._

 _He smiled at me, offering me his hand, "Magnus."_

* * *

"Kat, wake up," Cass urged me, shaking me gently.

"Huh?" I grumbled groggily. "Whuzzit?"

"We're about to be at the Institute. How are you feeling?"

"Like I was put under the train instead of on it," I groaned. The hangover was more intense than I'd anticipated. "Remind me never to drink again."

"No promises," she teased. "What if you get Kal off? I'd say that deserve a drink of celebration."

"If I get Kal off, drinking is the last thing we'll want. Why do I have the sinking suspicion that he _won't_ be happy to see us?"

"Because he won't," she agreed. "But then again, it's not really his choice now is it?" Noting my frown, she sighed. "Can I give you some advice?"

"You'll still do it even if I say 'no'."

"True. When you love someone, you don't show it by doing what they want. You show it by doing what they need. Get it?"

"Not really."

"Think about Annie. Remember when Kal took her to get her shots the first time? She whined and cried and told him how much she hated him over and over again? Did Kal let her get out of getting the shots? No. Because it's not always about what your loved ones want. It's about what's best for them."

"How do I know that I'm right about what's best for him?" I asked.

"We don't. We certainly know what's not best for him though, and it's not hanging from a rope. Right?"

"Right," I agreed weakly.

"Out of curiosity, what's in the bag?" she nodded towards the knapsack beside me. My cheeks burned a bright red as I remembered the secret Ahri had whispered in my ear.

"N-nothing, just...a plan B."

She looked at me suspiciously, but as she reached for it, I quickly snatched it away from her. "Uh-huh...you're awfully protective of this 'Plan B'."

"It won't work if you see it," I lied. I could tell immediately that Cass didn't buy it, but still she let it go anyway. "When are we going to arrive at the Institute?"

"Five minutes, give or take."

"Any word from any other sources?"

Cass shook her head. "Nothing from Talon, nothing from Swain. I don't think we're going to have any back up here. No character witnesses or anything of that nature. Please, please tell me you have some plan as to how to get him out?"

"What was your plan?" I scoffed.

"Testify that it was the glove. Maybe tied up the League courts until someone else could help me, or we could convince Lux to drop the charges."

"That's not going to happen. Lux has adamantly told me she has no intention of letting him get away with this." Resting my chin in my hand, I looked out the window, thinking back to my time with Kal in the academy. I was a real piece of work back then, I knew. "Ahri said to protect him as his summoner, not as his champion. What do you think that means?"

Cass scratched her cheek in thought. "Well, if hypothetically, Kal were to be _your_ champion, as a Summoner you would have the authority to declare yourself as the sole party responsible for what occurred."

"That doesn't help us," I grumbled. "That just means I'd be the one on trial instead of him."

"You served as his champion on the field, right?"

"Yes…" I affirmed, curious where she was going with this.

"But he was your Summoner at the time, meaning he controlled you."

"Right again."

"But you couldn't resist his influence?"

"He was too powerful. When I tried to it just felt like he'd driven a spike into my head. What's your point, Cass? Where are you going with this?"

"What if you _weren't_ being controlled by Kal?"

"What do you mean?"

"On the Fields of Justice, there are no rules as to appropriate conduct when fighting, right? It's the reason we can use magic, guns, blades, what have you. Let's face it, some of the champions can fight pretty brutally."

"Get to the point, already!"

"Okay, okay. My point is, if you claim that _you_ were acting on your own, not only would it conflict with Kal's testimony, thus throwing it out the window, there would be no punishment for your actions because it was on the Rift."

"So let me get this straight...you want me to confess to mutilating a teenage girl's genitals, sodomizing her with a sharpened stick, and nearly shoving a dagger in her pussy?"

"Well of course it sounds bad when you put it that way," she grumbled under her breath. "What if you used _that_ argument?"

"What argument?"

A grin came to Cass' lips. "Summoner's Defense."

"What?"

"A champion is not allowed to attack a Summoner under any circumstances, right?"

"So?"

"I'd say bringing up a Summoner's dead wife and personal life in an attempt to shake him up counts as a mental attack. Wouldn't you?"

"Cass, you're a genius! You little devil you!" I hugged her tightly. "I can't believe I didn't think of that before! We accuse Lux of provoking him, and if you watch it, it's true! She antagonized both of us from the very beginning. Add to that that he had on that freaky glove, and we can bail him out of this."

"Exactly. Now will you show me what Plan B is?"

"Absolutely not!"

A few minutes later, we arrived at the station. As the train pulled into the depot, I quickly grabbed my bags and began the long trek to the Institute with Cass at my side. There was a tension in the air filled with uncertainty. As confidant as I was in her plan, I couldn't help but feel that something could go wrong, even if I didn't know what that something was.

As we stepped to the doors, the large minotaur stood looming over us. For once, he stepped aside rather than hassling us for being Noxian. I couldn't quite understand, but when we walked past, he just gave me a derisive snort before nodding me in.

The halls were abuzz with energy. People were racing around to and fro, clambering and shouting in order to be heard by others. Grabbing one of the people I pulled them aside. "What's going on?!" I demanded, my voice barely perceivable over the roar.

"A trial! A summoner is going to trial! They've already started the opening statements." So quickly? Kayle must have wanted to resolve this before anything unexpected could turn up.

"Which way?"

When he pointed, Cass and I began to rush in that direction. Sure enough there were guards blocking the door, but I shoved my way past them much to their displeasure. "Ma'am, you can't…"

"League Business," I growled. "Step aside."

As I pushed my shoulder to the door, it creaked open revealing that the room inside was absolutely silent in comparison to the rush of noise we'd just exited from. Kayle paused her speech to turn and look at me. "Ah, excellent timing. Your Honor, I'd like to call my first witness, Katarina Du Couteau to the stand."

I suddenly went rigid as all eyes turned to face me. This wasn't how I was expecting this to go. My eyes went from Kayle, to the Councilor, to Kal, and back again. "Kat, say something," Cass whispered nudging me with her elbow. "You have to speak."

"A-actually, prosecutor...I move for the charges to be d-dropped against Kal'adamsul Midori-hi."

There was a soft murmur in the court room. "Yes, I'm sure you would enjoy that," she replied snootily, "however, you don't have the grounds nor the authority to make that movement."

"Actually, I have both," I shot back, having regained my confidence a bit. "My name is Katarina Du Couteau, and as the record will show I am Kal'adamsul's Summoner. That gives me the right to serve as his acting counsel."

"He's already waived that right," Kayle informed me.

"Doesn't matter. As his Summoner, I can overturn his right to waive counsel as I find it to be in both of our best interest to do so."

"Kat, stop!" he argued, standing up from the table. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because, Kal! You're not guilty!"

"Yes, I am!"

"Strike that from the record!" I instructed the stenographer. Moving to his side, I sat beside him and covered the mic. "Kal, so help me Gods, if you don't shut up I will summon you right here in this courtroom."

"I don't want you here, Kat," he growled.

"It's not about what you want anymore, Kal. It's about what you need, and right now you need me, just like some of us need you."

"I'll allow it," the Councilor mused. "I'm interested in what Miss Du Couteau has to say about this case. Given her previous case with Mister Midori-hi, I'd very much like to hear her explanation."

"Ma'am, I'd like to move that Luxanna Crownguard be charged with assaulting a Summoner."

The blonde's eyes widened as she stood up quickly. "What?!"

"Kat!" Even Kal was in absolute shock. "What are you doing?!"

"On what grounds?!" Kayle bellowed. "You've yet to provide any reason this case should be dismissed at all!"

"On the grounds that Miss Innocent over there antagonized my Summoner to the point where she provoked him into a blind rage."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Lux screamed, but Kayle immediately set her gauntlet clad hand on her shoulder, pushing her back into her seat before calmly turning to gaze in my direction.

"Your Honor, the prosecution agrees to allow the defendant his counsel, so long as the trial continues as set upon. I request the charges against our victim be postponed until after this case has been settled."

"Sustained," she agreed, turning to look at the Kal and I. "Now, if I remember correctly, Katarina you were called to the stand. As Counsel, you have the right to refuse on the grounds of self-testification."

"I'll testify."

As I stood up, Kal grasped my hand quickly. "Kat, I am begging you, do not do this," he whispered. "Please. You know what happened. You were there. Do not let me get away with this."

"I do know what happened, Kal. That's why I can't let you take this fall," I replied, gently pulling my fingers from his grasp. Moving to the stand, I sat in its chair before swearing in.

"Miss Du Couteau, when you were first summoned to the Fields of Justice that day, did you notice anything odd about your Summoner?"

"Define odd," I answered.

"Out of the ordinary. Perhaps a strange mood or behavior?"

"Yes," I admitted. "My Summoner was very stressed out the night before, thanks to Magnus' trial and the fact that he is still in mourning for his deceased wife."

"Fiance," Kayle corrected. "The two had not been legally wed yet."

"You say that like it matters," I shot back before the Councilor cleared her throat.

"Only answer the questions, Miss Du Couteau. Your personal commentary is not needed."

"Yes, Your Honor. As I said, my Summoner had been very stressed the night before, but on the day in question he seemed eerily calm by comparison."

"Did this not trouble you?" Kayle asked.

"No. If anything, I was relieved. He'd been going down a dark path, that morning marked a real turn around in his recent mood. I'd hoped it meant things were finally returning to normal."

"I see. Did they?"

"They did...at first."

"Explain, if you will."

"When I was first summoned on to Summoner's Rift, Kal's Summoning was in excellent form. My movements were fluid, and he made all preparations as normal. When we encountered the alleged 'victim', that's when things changed."

"What happened?"

I took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth. "She accused him of being a traitor to Ionia, because he was forced to join the Noxus pool."

"Then what?"

"I told her to step aside. That I didn't want to hurt her, but that if she kept fighting me, I'd have no choice. We worked together during Magnus' uprising so I'd have even at one point called her a friend."

"A friend?" Kayle scoffed. "What sort of a friend mutilates the genitals of another friend?" Raising her hand, gruesome images of the scene appeared on the screens, much to the horror of the jury.

"Our friendship ended the moment she provoked my Summoner and myself."

"Yes, yes...she called him a traitor. I'm sorry to say, but a few harsh names aren't enough to warrant the torture of a champion."

"I wouldn't call it torture, Kayle."

"You wouldn't?" she scoffed. "I'm hard pressed to find a better term for it."

"Torture requires long term effects on a person's physical being over a long period of time. Since she was on the Field of Justice and thus any physical harm she took was reversed, not to mention it was a single encounter, it was an attack by definition. Even so, an attack is not a crime on the Fields of Justice. Thus, my argument that the case should be dismissed."

I could see that Kayle was beginning to become irritated with me. She'd hoped for an open and shut case, but it didn't work out. I wouldn't let it work out. "Miss Du Couteau, did you attempt to resist your Summoner's influence when he forced you to 'attack' Miss Crownguard?"

"Eventually, yes."

"Eventually? Why? As you said, no harm would bring lasting effects into the situation, so why resist him later during the assault instead of at the beginning of it?"

"Prosecutor, the League of Legends is founded on war," I argued. "I'm not going to resist my Summoner every time we go into battle because I'm worried about hurting the other champions. No more than they'd hold back against me because they're worried about my physical well being. We kill each other, often many times over."

"Allow me to rephrase the question. I don't want to know why you didn't resist at first. I want to know why you resisted later."

"I resisted later because I felt she'd had enough punishment."

"I see. So by your opinion, you think your Summoner took it too far?"

"Objection. My opinion on the matter is irrelevant to the case."

"Overruled. Answer the question."

I brushed a strand of hair out of my face. "Yes. In my opinion, Kal went too far in his retribution."

"No further questions, Your Honor," Kayle finished, turning to return to her bench. My eyes glanced to the jury and I could see them talking among themselves.

"Katarina. Since you are unable to cross examine yourself, are you prepared to make a witness statement?"

This was my opportunity. I would end this problem here once and for all. I would bring Kal home and together we'd put this whole stupid business to bed. "Yes, your Honor. I am ready."

"Then you may begin."

"As I mentioned before, my Summoner had been behaving oddly that morning. The nervousness, irritability, and anger he had displayed over the last couple of days were gone and he seemed to be in better spirits, if still rather stoic. Kal and I are unique in that we are both simultaneously one another's champion and Summoner. The fact we share this bond puts us closer than the typical champion and Summoner relationship. That's why, when we first met Lux on the battlefield, I could feel his irritation with her. The two of them were good friends up until just recently. When his _fiance_ ," I spat the word, shooting Kayle a glare, "died, he was hurt and he needed comfort. Lux did not provide him with such. Instead, she told him that if he needed her, that he should instead just look elsewhere."

"Objection, relevance?"

"Establishing a prior relationship between the victim and accused your honor."

"Overruled. Continue Ms. Du Couteau."

"I knew Lux and I would end up fighting. I tried to get her to stand down, to spare Kal the pain of having to fight an old friend more than anything else. But Lux immediately called him a traitor. The night before Kal and I had become...intimate," I muttered the last word turning a bright red.

"Intimate?" Kayle asked.

"I won't go into the private details of my or my Summoner's love life, but needless to say, we shared a moment. He'd given me a hickey." I pulled back my hair to show the small black circle that was beginning to fade away.

"That doesn't sound like he was in mourning to me," Kayle mused, but I just narrowed my eyes at her and continued.

"Excellent point, Prosecutor. When Lux noticed my hickey, she began to insult him and me. She even took a shot at the fact that I was once under Magnus' control. In her words I'd 'been promoted from the slut of a monster, to the slut of an asshole'." Eyes fell on Luxanna as she fell absolutely silent. "That was when Kal first had me drag Lux into the woods. He was doing it to defend not just his, but both of our reputations as well. Kal was furious and he started at first by just binding her and humiliating her."

"He raped me!" Lux cried, standing up quickly. "You saw him do it! He used your body to rape me, and you're trying to defend him just because the two of you are screwing!"

"Order! Prosecutor, gain control of your witness!"

Kayle managed to calm Lux down again before I cleared my throat. "I will admit, Kal's initial plan of attack surprised me. He had me kiss her and then bring her to orgasm." Just as the jury was about to have a field day, I quickly added. "And it would have stopped there, had Lux not done one thing."

They all fell silent again. "What thing was that, Summoner?" the High Councilor asked.

"She insulted his dead fiance."

There was a roar of surprise from the courtroom as I looked towards Kal, his face buried in his hands. I wasn't going to let him go down for this. Any of it. I would finish this story if it was the last thing I did.

To be continued...


	13. Chapter 13

A Kat and Her Man Ch. 13

"Order! Order!" the Counselor bellowed, slamming her gavel furiously. When at last everyone fell quiet, she turned to Kayle. "Prosecutor. Do you have a recording of the attack prepared?"

"Yes, your honor," she murmured. It was clear she was not happy about this.

"Please replay the scene referenced by Miss Du Couteau."

The screen flickered, showing an image of me hunched over Lux. My voice was clear as a bell, but the timbre seemed off, proving it was Kal speaking and not myself. "Now who's a slut? Next time you insult my pet, you'd better be prepared for the consequences."

"Pause recording," I instructed, causing it to freeze. "As you can see, my Summoner has finished his task. He's humiliated her, but she is physically unharmed. He was content to simply leave her there as such, and the worst she would have had was a hurt ego until…"

Resuming the scene, Lux began to sit up, panting from the brought on orgasm. "What happened to you? I used...I used to look up to you! I used to think you were a hero. You did everything you could to save Valoran. You even saved me. You were _my_ hero, Kal. Now...you're a monster. You're no better than Magnus."

"I have no need to remind everyone that the 'victim' knew full well what my summoner was suffering through. She knew of his fiance's death, and she knew that it was Magnus who had killed her. Even still, she used the one thing she knew would send him into a fury," I explained.

My body froze on screen, turning slowly to glare back at her. "Care to run that by me again? No, please...I didn't hear you. Say it again."

"Objection your honor! The defendant clearly did not hear her insult!"

"Your honor it was rhetorical that she say it again! If anything, he was giving her a chance to stay quiet so that he wouldn't snap on her, but even still she didn't keep her mouth shut! She had to hurt him more, to twist the knife just a bit farther."

"Kat, why are you doing this?!" Lux cried, moving to stand up again, but Kayle quickly forced her back down in the chair.

"Keep playing the recording," the Councilor instructed.

"You were my hero, Kal. Please, Kal! I know there's still good in you! Please stop this! This isn't what Ahri would want!"

Immediately, the face of myself in the recording twisted into a grotesque expression of horrible rage. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK HER NAME! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT HER! YOU FAILED HER! YOU KILLED HER! YOU FAILED ME! YOU ABANDONED ME WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST! And now...I'm going to make you pay for it."

"Stop recording," I instructed, causing the images to flicker into nothingness. "So you see, Councilor, my Summoner had no reason to attack her in the first place, but she constantly worked to provoke him. Even once the initial conflict was over, she continued to attack his mental state _knowing_ that it would drive him to commit some unspeakable act. Given her hatred of Noxus, I'd even say she was planning to have him removed from the Noxus pool as part of the punishment, just so she could get her way."

"Kal, say something!" Lux demanded, but I immediately stood from the stand, moving to stand between her and my Summoner.

"Don't talk to him," I growled. "You don't get that right after the way you treated him!"

"Kat, he _raped_ me!"

"And you raped him!" I shouted back. "Or did you think that we'd just forget that little incident on the mountains?!"

"Objection, Your Honor!" Kayle immediately interjected. "None of these accusations have been supported by evidence! No crime was filed against Miss Crownguard! The defense is merely trying to discredit her testimony and suffering by attacking her moral character!"

"I'm afraid I'm inclined to agree, Miss Du Couteau. Unlike the jury, I have seen the full recording, and I agree with your testimony that his 'retribution' was overly violent and cruel. Have you any evidence that he was not responsible for this attack, other than the victim's words?"

"Yes, your honor!" I announced, causing Kayle to frown.

"Your honor, such evidence has not been submitted to myself. I move to make it inadmissible."

"She has a point, Miss Du Couteau. We have rules that we must follow and…"

"What if I could prove the evidence is trustworthy, your honor?" I interrupted. "If I can prove that the evidence in question is not only accurate, but is from a source that cannot be discredited, would it be admissible?"

She thought about it for a moment before finally nodding. "Very well. Let us take a brief recess. Council, please report to my chambers for discussion." Slamming the gavel down, murmurs filled the room as Kayle and I stepped forward to follow the Councilor to her room.

Now inside, the two of us stood shoulder to shoulder, and I could feel Kayle's eyes on me. "I always respected you," she commented. "As hard as it is to believe, I know there is some honor among assassins. However, I never thought you'd stoop so low as to attack a traumatized, innocent, little girl."

"That 'little girl'," I argued, "is far from innocent. She has you wrapped around her finger, Kayle. Not surprising, given that she at one point had the same from my summoner."

"Ladies, that is not why I called you in here," the Councilor interrupted, pouring herself a glass of water. "Katarina, show me this evidence."

I dumped the contents of the canvas bag out on her desk, revealing the broken fragments of the glove, the inside still caked in dried blood. "A gauntlet?" Kayle asked skeptically.

"Not just any gauntlet," I explained. "This gauntlet was enhanced using ancient Noxian rune sorcery to increase a mage's magical abilities. However, these artifacts are meant to come in pairs, but the Council was unaware of this when they assigned the relic to my Summoner almost two years ago. As a side effect, it makes the user highly irritable, violent, and eventually, complete possession by their anger."

Kayle scoffed. "You're trying to blame this on the League now?"

"Unfortunately, Kayle, she's right," the Councilor sighed, sifting through the broken armor. "I was there when we gave it to him. It was part of a confidential mission to track down Magnus and stop him, which he did without hesitation."

"Your Honor, glove or not, he _needs_ to be punished for this! What does it say for the League of Legends if we allow a summoner to behave this way and only get a slap on the wrist? It's bad enough that Magnus can't be charged, but this…"

"I have a deal, if you're willing to hear it," I tried. "He'll still be punished, but it won't be by a noose, meaning we both win this case."

"I'm listening," Kayle replied.

"I'm his champion and his summoner," I reminded them both. "I'm closer to Kal than anyone else alive at this point. It's my understanding that he tried to confess, right?"

"Yes, but Luxanna requested that he be put to trial anyway."

"No doubt to try to prove some point to him," I sighed. "That girl is such a menace sometimes. Look, as you can see the gauntlet is destroyed. It has no more influence on my summoner, as evidenced by his attempt to confess. Lux compared him to Magnus, let's give him a similar punishment."

"What do you mean? Imprisonment until Reshiram is rediscovered? He could be anywhere, Kat and you know that the sentence is one to waste time until we can decide a suitable punishment."

"Not the imprisonment, but the removal of his status as Summoner. Force him to be a champion, solely. This way, I can control him on the field to make sure he isn't able to hurt anyone again."

Kayle scratched her chin in thought. "It's a reasonable punishment," she agreed. "Though, I'm not sure we can convince Luxanna to drop the charges."

"You'll recall, Kayle, that it is the League who decides the punishment, not yourself. We agree to a guilty plea. Both of them will be satisfied, but I will be the one to deliver the sentence, meaning that Luxanna has no say, nor does Kal. I remember him well from when he was younger, and I know that he is not the sort to do something so cruel of his own volition," the Councilor commented.

"What's to stop him from quitting the League?" Kayle asked. "If he leaves, you have no control over him Katarina, and then he is scott free to do as he chooses."

"The League is not above sentencing criminals to serve time in their service," I reminded her. "Force him to remain a champion for a time deemed appropriate for his crime, and I'll see to it that he remains under my control from then on."

"You make a compelling argument," Kayle mused. "All right. The prosecution has no objections to the deal your honor. Kal must confess that he attacked Luxanna, and change his plea to guilty. After doing so, we would like a sentence of twenty five years in service to the league as a champion, as well as the removal of his summoner status. Sound fair?"

"Deal," I agreed. "But I'd like the condition that across conflicts, I remain his summoner. He doesn't become rebound to another soul, he must remain in my care."

"I'm willing to agree to that for now, Miss Du Couteau," the Councilor agreed. "But if you are unable to control him, I'll have no choice but to remove him from your charge."

"Yes, ma'am. I understand."

"Excellent, dismissed. Let's get this thing over with, hmm?"

The three of us filed out one by one, and glancing over at him, I could see Kal was clearly distraught. Lux was glaring intensely at him, and I was certain he could feel it. The fact she was blaming him for this only served to make me angrier with her. He'd tried to confess, to be punished, and she rejected it to cause him more pain.

"After contemplation, this court has come to a decision in regards to this case. Kal'adamsul Midori-hi. What is your plea?" Her question caused him to perk up. He looked to me, and for a moment his expression softened. Was he grateful that I'd given him this opportunity?

"Guilty, your honor."

"I see. Then there is no point to waste this court's time further. Kal'Adamsul, as punishment for your violent attack against a champion of the League, you are hereby stripped of your authority as a Summoner. Your bond with your champion is anuled and you will no longer participate in League conflicts." He nodded awaiting his death sentence with a slight anxiousness. If only he knew that it would never come, I'd never have to have seen that expression on his face. It was an expression of surrender that was painful to see. "In addition, you will serve twenty five years as a Champion of the League with no compensation. You will remain bound to your present Summoner for the duration of your sentence, during which you will be under her absolute command. When she says you jump, you'd better ask her 'how high',do I make myself clear?"

His eyes were wide in shock and his jaw fell open. "But...Your Honor! I...I plead guilty!"

"Yes, you did. And I have given you my sentence. Court dismissed!"

Banging her gavel once more, he stood there completely stunned. This was not what he'd wanted. He'd hoped to be killed. He wanted to be sent to the afterlife, where he assumed Ahri would be waiting for him.

As Lux was escorted from the courtroom, she wore a deep scowl showing her discontent with the sentence. Everyone else, however, seemed satisfied that the whole ordeal was over, completely unaware of how little it changed between my champion and myself. Kal was safe, finally. Closing my eyes, I whispered a silent 'thank you' to Ahri, before smiling to myself.

As soon as he got home, (I'd been hurried by Cass while he was still being processed), Kal went straight to his room. He didn't greet me. He didn't say a word, even when Annie ran up to him and hugged him around the waist. He just pat her head, before slipping away and closing the door firmly behind him.

"Well, this wasn't unexpected," Cass said. "Think this is time for 'Plan B'?"

I smiled softly at the thought. "Not yet," I replied. "I think he's just tired from his travels for now. There will be plenty of time for Plan B in the morning. For now, we should all get some sleep. It's been one hell of a day."

Cass yawned in agreement before simply nodding her head and returning to her room. As I walked towards my own, Talon manifested himself from the shadows, walking along side me. "I see the felon has returned," he murmured.

"He's harmless," I assured him. "And he's serving his time."

"His time?" he snorted derisively. "Yes, twenty five years in a beautiful mansion, being cared for by beautiful women, and virtually free to go anywhere he pleases. I'm certain he's really regretting his decisions now."

Despite my urge to yell at Talon, nothing seemed to be able to shake my mood. Instead, I simply shrugged my shoulders and answered, "A golden cage is still a cage, Talon." That seemed to satisfy him enough that he vanished away into the nothingness to tuck Annie in to bed.

Once I was safely in my room, I looked to the brown paper bag that rested on my bed. Plan B. I couldn't believe I was about to go through with it, but part of me tingled with excitement at the thought.

I wasn't actually tired, and I didn't believe Kal was either, but I had to say something to shake Cass. Sitting on my bed, I waited until the entire house fell silent. Everyone was asleep now, save me and I expected, Kal. Drawing Plan B from the bag, I slowly made my way to his room.

I knocked politely twice before opening the door and peering inside. "Hello?" I called quietly. "Are you awake, Kal?"

"Go away," he grumbled. He was curled up on the bed, turned away from me. Yes, it was definitely time for Plan B.

I closed the door behind me. "I know you're upset with me, Kal," I began, but he just sniffled, before giving an irritated scoff that confirmed my suspicions. "I couldn't let you die, Kal. I wouldn't do that to you."

"You didn't have to attack Lux," he murmured. "She didn't do anything."

"I disagree," I retorted. "She did a lot to you, Kal. She may not have done it on purpose, and she may not have deserved what happened, but she still, in some part, caused it. But I'm not here to talk about that."

"Just go away," he groaned again. "Please."

I didn't move from my spot. "Rely on me the way I rely on you," I reminded him. "You remember that, don't you? Well, if the roles were switched, if I was in prison for a crime I couldn't help that I committed, wouldn't you do anything to defend me? Don't deny that you would." He didn't say anything. He just stayed silent, save his quiet crying. "I love you, Kal," I finally whispered. "I don't know if you believe that or not, but it's true. I'm very, very deeply and madly in love with you. I've felt horrible about it. I've cried about my feelings many times, because I was scared that I would lose you if you found out."

"If you're trying to make me feel better about what happened, you're making it worse," he whispered, referring to our night of lovemaking (if you could call it that).

"Kal...look at me," I pleaded. "Please?"

He hesitated for a moment before slowly turning over to regard me. When his eyes fell on me, he paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. I stood there, waiting patiently for his judgment. Then, against his will, it happened.

His lip quivered at first before slowly pulling into a gentle smile. Through his tear soaked eyes, a small glimmer of light chipped through. A rosy red came to my cheeks as I sheepishly shifted my weight from one foot to the other. The silence that was between us was suddenly shattered when he gave a slight chuckle, before covering his mouth. "Oh Gods, Kat. What are you wearing?" he chortled.

"Ahri told me that this may help bring you out of your funk," I suggested, displaying myself to him. The skimpy white fur clothing left very little to the imagination. Even though the top felt a little tight, I had to admit my breasts had never looked better, and there was something oddly appealing by the way the enchanted tail swished playfully behind me.

"Ahri told you that?" he laughed, unable to stop snickering.

"Well? How do I look?" I asked, rotating in place, before striking a cute pose for him. "Do I make a good kitty, nyan?"

"Absolutely ridiculous," he replied, standing from the bed and moving towards me. When we were standing just a foot from one another, I stared up into his eyes.

"I'd hoped you'd find me beautiful," I sighed.

Moving closer, his hands ran through my hair, grabbing the fake ears and pulling them from my scarlet locks. Tossing them aside, he pulled me into an embrace, nuzzling against my head. "You've always been beautiful," he whispered to me. "You didn't need to dress up like a cat for that. Still, thank you for cheering me up. I…" he paused, struggling to continue on. "Ahri died, in my arms, along with our child. She was pregnant."

"Pregnant? Oh Gods Kal, I had no idea…" I whispered to him. I hugged him tightly, pressing myself into his chest as we swayed there.

"I've made peace with it," he whispered finally. "At least, I've made peace with the fact that it was out of my hands. I couldn't have saved her, even if I wanted to. At first, I was angry that you hadn't killed him, then I was angry that I couldn't bring myself to do it instead. But now, I'm glad we didn't kill him. That's not what she would have wanted from us, you know? I know...I know that Ahri would only want me to be happy, but...how can I possibly be happy, knowing that her last thoughts were that I'd failed her."

"Those weren't her last thoughts," I assured him. "I talked to her. Honest, I did. She was the one who sent me to come help you."

"So...you've seen her ghost? I'm not going mad?"

"You're not," I assured him. "She scared the absolute hells out of me, too. But she told me things, Kal. She told me that she didn't blame you for any of it. Her last thoughts were of how happy she'd been since she'd met you. She even told me, that when she was dying she knew that she'd lived a good life, because at least she got to spend time with you. She loves you Kal, and I know you will never stop loving her. I would never ask you to stop." I paused, a tear running down my cheek as I rested my head on his shoulder. "But...if you could...would you be able to...to...find some room in your heart, for me?" I was trembling now, like a leaf in the wind.

Tilting my chin upwards, he leaned forward and placed his lips against mine. His kiss was so gentle, I could barely feel it, and yet still it sent electrical shocks all down my body. The tail that had been moving incessantly behind me suddenly fell motionless as he drew me closer.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss as I begged that this time, it would be different. This time, when he told me loved me, he'd mean it with all his heart. When at last our lips parted, still glistening in the dim candle light from one another's saliva, I again stared up into his beautiful blues. "Yes," he answered. "There's always room in my heart for you, Kat. I love you, too. It's what makes what happened hurt so much more because...it used that... _I_ used that against you, and I'm so, so, sorry."

I cut off his apology with a kiss of my own, my fingers tangling in his long brown hair as I passionately crashed upon him. The arms he kept around my waist stirred up a familiar heat in me, and when I came up for air, I smiled at him through glistening eyes. "If you're really sorry...then I'll let you make it up to me. Right here, right now." As I went to remove the tail, his hands snagged my wrist.

"No," he whispered. My heart sank before he leaned closer, kissing my throat. A soft purr emitted involuntarily as he whispered in my ear. "Leave it on."

I giggled, nodding as he pulled me back towards the bed. With almost no effort at all, the two of us collapsed in a passionate heap, there, once again kissing intensely as we worked to get out of our clothes.

I was right. This time it was different. His touch was less like fire now, and more like the soothing caress of ocean waves that lapped at my body. Shrugging his shirt from his shoulders, he placed one last kiss on my lips before trailing down to my breasts where he tenderly sucked and nibbled at the sensitive flesh.

Small purrs of delight rose in my throat as he suckled on my sensitive nipples. It took him almost no time at all to cause me to become damp in arousal as I arched my back towards him. "Mmm, stop teasing me," I mewed in delight.

"So impatient," he chastised playfully, but even still, he ran his tongue down my ivory midriff, circling my navel. Didn't I just tell him to stop teasing me?! I soon discovered, however, that it was simply a delay while he worked to remove the bottoms that kept him from his true prize.

My eyes fluttered closed, rolling upward as he kissed my puffy mound. Oh Gods, how did that feel so wonderful? My hands ran through his hair, guiding him along with my gyrating body to ensure his tongue remained inside of me.

I couldn't stop moaning as my heart raced faster and faster. "Nnngh, Kal…!" I purred. "A-already?" My body shuddered as I reached orgasm, far earlier than I could have ever anticipated.

Even still, he didn't cease his attention to me. Instead, he just slithered his tongue along my inner flesh, driving me wild as he affectionately stroked my hips. I huffed, my chest rising and falling rapidly as he suddenly flicked my clit with his tongue, causing another rapid fire orgasm. At this rate, I'd be completely out of energy on foreplay alone.

He seemed to sense this, so he pulled away, kissing me deeply. I didn't even mind that I could taste myself, I just knew that I needed him inside of me. One hand gripped his body tightly, the other running down to cup his bulge before I worked to undo his fly.

It easily burst open, proving he'd been as eager for this as I was. Would it feel the same as it had before? Would it be as rough? Maybe gentler? The thoughts that swam in my head were suddenly silenced as his tip, instead of slipping inside of me, ran along my folds and rubbed against my clit.

Both of us moaned into one another as I fell still. I trusted him completely. I knew he'd never do anything to hurt me. Not now, not ever. "I love you," I panted, repeating my earlier sentiment. "I love you, I love you, I love you." I couldn't stop saying it, and I was certain that he probably thought I was a nut.

Instead, he spread my legs with his own, slipping now tenderly pressing himself into me. I let out a pleasured coo as he wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling upward to allow himself to press deeper into me than he'd even gone before.

"I love you, too," he moaned. "Is this...okay?"

I nodded emphatically, my hands running up my body to massage my own breasts as I let him work his magic on my body. When he'd at last bottomed out on me, I could feel him pressing against my cervix.

He lifted my hips even higher than before, causing my back to arch, as he used gentle thrusts to make my legs tremble around him. "Oh Gods, Kal! Where did you...nngh...oh...learn this?" I whimpered, trying and failing to not look like a grinning idiot.

I'd never had sex like this before. Not from him, not from Magnus, not from anyone. "I read books," he teased, the tip of his cock rubbing repeatedly on my g-spot. Gods, Ahri! How could you even be rational around this man, knowing what he was capable of?

That was when I realized that with all the weight on my upper back and neck, I was beginning to become dizzy from the blood rushing to my head. It felt wonderful in concordance with his body's movements, but the last thing I wanted was to pass out and miss the feeling of bringing him to release.

Sure enough, he soon pulled from my, slowly lowering my body back to the bed. "Gods...what do you call that?" I panted. "I've never…*gulp*...felt that before."

"The Dolphin," he chuckled, leaning closer to kiss my neck. "And that's nothing."

"Nothing?!" I cried in surprise. "Gods, what more can you do to me?"

Taking my hands in his, he pushed them above my body, pinning them over my head as he nibbled on my neck. I began to shift to spread my legs for him, but he quickly tightened his thighs around me, preventing me from doing so. "Keep them closed," he instructed. "Trust me, you'll love this."

"O-okay," I whispered nervously, flashbacks of last time haunting the back recesses of my mind. I immediately chastised myself for not trusting him when I first felt his cock slip into me.

I was making almost no effort on my part, and yet it felt better than any other sex I'd ever had, Dolphin included. His cock was prodding my clit from inside of my body! I squealed in delight as his short rapid thrusts quickly brought me to yet another orgasm.

"You were right!" I moaned. "You were right!"

With his body draped over mine, he gently brushed my disheveled hair from my face before pressing his lips against mine lovingly. I returned his affections with gusto. That was when I felt his body shift again. He elevated my hips slightly before with one movement, his cock brushed against my clit and straight to my g-spot.

I squealed in delight as I came for the fourth time that night. It was then I went a little crazy. Shoving him onto his back, I straddled him, riding him roughly as I begged, to feel even more. "K-kat!" he gasped, trying to sit up, but I easily sent him back on to the bed.

"Shut up," I ordered before roughly thrusting my tongue into his mouth. The passion, the energy, the raw intimacy that was flooding my body like a disease was absolutely addicting. My memories of the previous night were gone now.

I didn't care about what happened before, all I cared about now was feeling him cum inside of me. With all of my rough grinding, I could feel his legs writhing beneath me as he tried to find perch and take back some control.

But I wouldn't have it, and tightening my thighs around his waist, I tilted my head back and let out a cry of triumphant pleasure. The feeling of my body tightening and loosening with my orgasmic spasms finally sent him over the edge. "Oh Gods, Kat!" he gasped, and grasping my waist he pulled me down on to his cock. I could feel it twitch inside of me before he flooded me with his hot cum, our juices mixing before they began to pour out of me, running down my thighs and legs into a sticky pool between our pelvises.

With that, we both collapsed together on to the bed, as if we'd just run a marathon. "Gods damn," I shuddered, nuzzling into his throat. "Mmm, Kal that was fantastic. Your cum feels so warm inside of me," I panted. So maybe I needed to brush up a bit on my dirty talk. He didn't seem to mind as he wrapped his arms around me, holding my body against his.

The two of us kissed again, sucking on one another's lips lovingly until we finally both fell asleep together. The best part? I didn't wake up that night even once. Even if I had though, I still couldn't be certain that I wasn't dreaming.

To be continued...


	14. Update

**AN: Hey everyone! So I didn't manage to get 12 reviews on my book, but no need to fret. All of the messages of support that I've received from you have been a huge help to me, even overpowering some of the more...colorful...ones. Even just buying my book really gives me a leg up. Thank you so much to those of you who donated to my Patron or to pay pal. I will continue uploading over time, and while it will still be slow, rest assured that I am grateful to have you all behind me. My book is still on Amazon if you'd like to get a copy. I know that's difficult for a lot of you, being young and not having any way to really order anything online. Special thanks to Waddlebuff, Jonathan Boterf, and Austin Nadworny for your generous contributions. They truly mean more to me than I can hope to describe. I hope you continue to enjoy my work. I will strive to keep everyone updated on my situation as I go. And to the one guy who keeps sending me insulting messages and telling me to kill my self...Thank you for reading my stories :) Your support is greatly appreciated. I wish everyone the best of luck in life and literature. -Kiba**


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